Participants of the Burning Man Festival found themselves in knee-deep mud this weekend as rainfall exceeded the normal range, resulting in road closures.
From trudging through the mud barefoot to declining food and water supplies, the event went from a relaxing trip to an impromptu episode of Man Vs. Wild real quick. Yet, large groups of people tried to stay positive and keep each other motivated.
All of it was well and good until a murder was discovered, and the survival mode now switched to horror mode. Internet trolls found the perfect opportunity as well, and some new conspiracy theories rolled in.
What Is Burning Man?
Burning Man is an annual festival held in the western United States. The event has been taking place at Black Rock City in Nevada. It is a week-long event that is organized on a large scale at a desert campout.
The festival is described as a “global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organizers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives around the world.” The festival’s name comes from the act on the final night when a large wooden structure called ‘the Man’ is burnt.
During the event, participating groups set up camps and provide goods or services for free. Providing things without expecting anything in return acts as a spiritual retreat. The latest Burning Man event was scheduled for August 27-September 4. A regular ticket costs $575; however, the whole experience with logging, travel, food, and other expenses can amount to upwards of $1,500.
What Happened at Burning Man 2023?
The average rainfall in the Reno area for September is 5.4mm. However, more than 13mm of rain fell at the festival site on Friday. The unusual late-summer storm turned the fest into a muddy mess as around 80,000 participants were stranded with no working toilets and blocked roads. Organizers also closed the event after a death was reported.
Road closures were imposed before the giant wooden effigy could be burnt, and all activities were postponed. Authorities were working to open the exit routes. Attendees had to trudge miles through the mud barefoot with plastic covered on them.
Food and water supply was slowly getting scarce, and the experience turned out to be a nightmare for some, while others tried to keep morale high. Some managed to walk to the nearest town or catch a ride.
Who Died at Burning Man 2023?
A death at the Burning Man 2023 event forced organizers to halt the festival. Officials revealed on Sunday that a person had died at the Nevada desert event. Burning Man Communications stated that the death was unrelated to the weather, and the investigation is still ongoing. The identity of the dead has not been revealed yet.
What Is the Burning Man Billionaire Death Claim?
On Sunday, officials from the Burning Man Committee revealed that the death of a man had occurred at the event after people were trapped due to the storm, but the death was not weather-related. This led to many conspiracy theories online, and one X account posted fake news stating: “Meet the ageless billionaire that was just found half-eaten and dead at Burning Man.”
The image posted with the caption was of Bryan Johnson, an American tech entrepreneur who has been spending millions to reduce his biological age.
Bryan Johnson is not dead, and there is no confirmation that he was even at the Burning Man event. The post was just trying to spread a death hoax. Johnson is currently active on his social media accounts, and his last Instagram post was 3 hours ago.
While many thought that the post was true, others realized that it was fake and began trolling in the comments. One of the comments went viral as it referenced the ‘Eat the Rich’ phrase in the context.
Plenty of other hilarious tweets followed as well. However, the fact still remains that it is all just satire. Comment below if you can think of any other fun replies!
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