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00:00I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, BUT THIS IS A HOT ISSUE OUT HERE ABOUT THE RISKS TO BURNING MAN. ARE THEY GOING TO MAKE IT OR BREAK IT? >> THEY BLEW UP IN SEPTEMBER. THIS WOMAN WROTE A TELL-ALL ACCOUNT IN SEPTEMBER ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE WORKING AS A BARTENDER AND SERVER, OR AS SHE PUT IT, A [INDISCERNIBLE] IN THIS BURNING MAN CAMP. THIS PORTRAIT THAT SHE WROTE WAS INCREDIBLY UNFLATTERING. IT TURNS OUT THE GUY WHO ORGANIZED THIS CAMP WAS A GUY NAMED JIM TENENBAUM, FOUNDER AND CEO OF FORSYTHE CAPITAL. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE RECENTLY HAD JOINED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE BURNING MAN PROJECT, THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT RUNS THIS WHOLE THING. WHEN SHE WROTE THIS, IT BLEW UP AND PEOPLE WERE FURIOUS ABOUT HOW THIS WAS VIOLATING EVERYTHING THE BURNING MAN STOOD FOR, AND NOT ONLY WAS THIS SORT OF EGREGIOUS INVASION OF THE 1%, BUT ALSO BY THIS GUY WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE PROMOTING THE CORE BURNING MAN VALUES. >> THOSE BURNING MAN VALUES ARE -- >> I THINK THEY ARE COOL, AND IT'S AN INTERESTING THING. >> I TALK TO PEOPLE WHO GO TO BURNING MAN, AND THEY REALLY FEEL LIKE THEIR LIVES ARE CHANGED, RECONNECTING WITH THEIR CORE PRIORITIES. PEOPLE HAVE THIS SERIES EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GO TO THIS THING. >> ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES AT STAKE HERE WAS THE IDEA OF RADICAL SELF-RELIANCE. EVERYBODY THAT GOES THERE HAS TO PARTICIPATE, VOLUNTEER, DO THINGS FOR THEMSELVES. IN THE PAST -- WEALTHY PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GOING TO BURNING MAN, BUT THERE WAS THIS SORT OF LEVELING EFFECT. EVEN IF YOU ARE A CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY OR CELEBRITY, YOU THROW ON YOUR COSTUME AND GO OUT THERE AND PARTY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. YOU COOK YOUR MEALS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. WHAT UPSET PEOPLE ABOUT THIS CAMP WAS THAT THERE WAS THIS STAFF OF DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES. THEY HAD TO PAY ABOUT $16 FOR THE WEEK. THEY WERE GIVEN WRISTBANDS. ANYBODY WHO DID NOT HAVE A WRISTBAND WASN'T NECESSARILY WELCOME INSIDE THE CAMP TO GET DRINKS. IT WAS THE EXCLUSIVITY THAT REALLY BOTHERED PEOPLE. IT IS ONE THING TO THROW A LOT OF MONEY AND SPENT A LOT OF MONEY AT THE BURNING MAN CAMP. IF YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WELCOME EVERYBODY IN. >> WE DID THIS STORY LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS DOCUMENTARY, "SPARK," THAT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION ON SHOWTIME. IT REPRESENTED THE CORE SPIRIT OF BURNING MAN, ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN IT WAS ON A BEACH IN SAN FRANCISCO. BUT CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF IT. I WONDER IF BECAUSE THE MAGIC IS SO MAGICAL, THAT THE MORE DISGUSTING ASPECTS AREN'T REALLY COMING OUT ABOUT BURNING MAN. >> IN SOME WAYS IT REMINDS ME ABOUT A LOT OF STORIES WERE YOU SEE A LITTLE STARTUP INDIE OPERATION THAT HAS CORE VALUES, AND SUDDENLY IT EXPLODES AGAINST BIGGER AND BIGGER, AND HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THOSE VALUES. FOR THE STORY I ENDED UP INTERVIEWING LARRY HARVEY, ONE OF THE COFOUNDERS OF BURNING MAN. HIS POINT WAS, SOME OF THESE CAMPS ARE KIND OF DISTASTEFUL TO US, BUT FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE THE 1% COMING TO BURNING MAN BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, HE FEELS LIKE BURNING MAN WILL CHANGE THEM MORE THAN THEY CHANGE BURNING MAN. >> WHAT AN OPTIMISTIC POINT OF VIEW. HAVE YOU BEEN? >> I HAVE NOT. THIS MADE ME VERY CURIOUS. WE SHOULD BE THERE THIS SUMMER. >> I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN PULL THAT OFF. IT'S A FASCINATING THING. THE TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY HERE -- AT ITS VERY HIGHEST LEVELS, CEO'S, SOME OF THE VERY BIGGEST COMPANIES IN ALL OF SILICON VALLEY ARE PART OF THAT RICH MAN'S ROW AT BURNING MAN, BUT REALLY TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE INSPIRED BY IT. >> IT IS A GREAT THING. THE CREATIVE SPIRIT, THE ART CARS YOU SEE, WHAT PEOPLE BUILD THERE IS UNBELIEVABLE. AS LONG AS YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE EVERYTHING YOU BUILD WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, I THINK PEOPLE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THE TECH CEO 'S COME OUT THERE. THE ONE PERSON WHO WAS AT THIS CAMP AND FOUND IT DISTASTEFUL WAS DESCRIBING IT TO ME AS SORT OF BRING AN END L.A. NIGHTCLUB OR LAS VEGAS NIGHTCLUB INTO THE MIDDLE OF BURNING MAN. THAT PISSED PEOPLE OFF THE MOST ABOUT THIS AND MADE IT INTO SUCH A CONTROVERSY. WELCOME, COME OUT TO BURNING MAN, EVERYONE IS WELCOME, BUT WHEN YOU ARE THERE, YOU GOT TO

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Will Burning Man Kick Out the 1%?

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