Pitchfork Festival co-founder settles lawsuit against him
<p>Organizers of the Pitchfork Music Festival have settled a lawsuit against the festival’s co-founder after accusing him of misappropriating more than $500,000 in festival funds.</p><p>Pitchfork Festivals LLC <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/10/pitchfork-music-festival-sues-co-founder-claiming-564k-in-festival-funds-alleging-misappropriated" target="_blank" ><u>sued co-founder Mike Reed</u></a> last month in federal court in Chicago, alleging he kept $564,680 by falsely claiming the money reimbursed expenses he had already incurred while preparing for the 2025 festival, which was later <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2024/11/11/pitchfork-music-festival-wont-return-in-2025" target="_blank" ><u>canceled</u></a>.</p><p>In a social media post shared Monday, Reed said he and Condé Nast — Pitchfork’s New York-based parent company — had reached a settlement.</p><p>"I want to thank the many people who have shown support over the last few weeks," Reed wrote on <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DblcE85kdKz/?img_index=1" target="_blank" >Instagram</a>. "I’m happy to say that both parties have decided to settle our issues amicably.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>Organizers of the Pitchfork Music Festival have settled a lawsuit against the festival’s co-founder after accusing him of misappropriating more than $500,000 in festival funds.</p><p>Pitchfork Festivals LLC <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/10/pitchfork-music-festival-sues-co-founder-claiming-564k-in-festival-funds-alleging-misappropriated" target="_blank" ><u>sued co-founder Mike Reed</u></a> last month in federal court in Chicago, alleging he kept $564,680 by falsely claiming the money reimbursed expenses he had already incurred while preparing for the 2025 festival, which was later <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2024/11/11/pitchfork-music-festival-wont-return-in-2025" target="_blank" ><u>canceled</u></a>.</p><p>In a social media post shared Monday, Reed said he and Condé Nast — Pitchfork’s New York-based parent company — had reached a settlement.</p><p>"I want to thank the many people who have shown support over the last few weeks," Reed wrote on <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DblcE85kdKz/?img_index=1" target="_blank" >Instagram</a>. "I’m happy to say that both parties have decided to settle our issues amicably. We can now put these issues in the past and move forward."</p><p>In a lawsuit filed July 6, Pitchfork accused Reed of fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, accounting and fraudulent transfer. </p><p>After the festival was canceled in 2024, and after a failed attempt to restart the event in 2025, organizers said they asked Reed to return nearly $4 million dollars that had been sent to his production company, Big Stik LLC.
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- <p>Organizers of the Pitchfork Music Festival have settled a lawsuit against the festival’s co-founder after accusing him of misappropriating more than $500,000 in festival funds.</p><p>Pitchfork Festivals LLC <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/10/pitchfork-music-festival-sues-co-founder-claiming-564k-in-festival-funds-alleging-misappropriated" target="_blank" ><u>sued co-founder Mike Reed</u></a> last month in federal court in Chicago, alleging he kept $564,680 by falsely claiming the money reimbursed expenses he had already incurred while preparing for the 2025 festival, which was later <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2024/11/11/pitchfork-music-festival-wont-return-in-2025" target="_blank" ><u>canceled</u></a>.</p><p>In a social media post shared Monday, Reed said he and Condé Nast — Pitchfork’s New York-based parent company — had reached a settlement.</p><p>"I want to thank the many people who have shown support over the last few weeks," Reed wrote on <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DblcE85kdKz/?img_index=1" target="_blank" >Instagram</a>. "I’m happy to say that both parties have decided to settle our issues amicably.
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Pitchfork Festival co-founder settles lawsuit against him
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times