A heated Reddit thread on r/BurningMan is circulating this week after a user compiled reporting tying longtime burner Brock Pierce to Jeffrey Epstein and Marc Collins‑Rector — and asked whether the community should rethink including wealthy donors with questionable networks.
Quick context
Brock Pierce is a well‑known figure in crypto and has been a regular at Burning Man for years, involved with or funding several theme camps. The Reddit post pulls together links to prior reporting and public records, including:
– A Protos deep dive on Pierce’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and references to Pierce in the Epstein files.
– A New York Times piece covering Pierce’s business dealings and controversies in Puerto Rico.
– Historical reporting and public records showing Pierce lived and did business with Marc Collins‑Rector in the early 2000s; Collins‑Rector was later convicted of trafficking and other crimes. Pierce was reportedly arrested in Spain in 2002 alongside Collins‑Rector and released without charges.
– A documentary, An Open Secret, and other archival coverage about that group of people.
What people on the playa are saying
The Reddit OP argues the pattern of associations — living with Collins‑Rector, being listed in Epstein files, and exchanges reported in media — makes Pierce “pedo‑adjacent” and that the community should be cautious about accepting his money or leadership roles at camps. Comments from other burners range from calls to boycott tickets and camps he backs to reminders about due process and the risk of public shaming.
Brock’s Burning Man presence
Redditors also called out specific camps where Pierce has been linked in recent years, including Seventh Planet (also listed as Uranus on a 2024 theme camp map) and a 2023 camp referred to in press coverage as Pathogen Trackers. Several community posts describe his camps as heavily managed or “plug‑and‑play” setups funded by wealthy backers rather than grassroots builds.
What’s verified vs. what’s alleged
– Verified reporting: major outlets (NYT, televised coverage, and investigative outlets cited by the Reddit OP) have documented Pierce’s business history, his crypto career, and his public interactions with Epstein and others. Public records show he lived and worked with Marc Collins‑Rector and was arrested in Spain in the early 2000s; Pierce was not criminally charged in that matter.
– Allegations and interpretation: the Reddit post interprets those connections as evidence that Pierce enabled or supported abusive activity. That is the OP’s argument and the basis for calls to socially ostracize him; it has not led to new criminal convictions against Pierce.
Why this matters to burners
Burning Man culture emphasizes consent and community care. For many attendees, the presence or funding of people with documented ties to convicted abusers raises ethical questions about who gets influence on the playa and whether orgs and camp leads should vet donors more closely.
Bottom line
A r/BurningMan thread is pushing the community to reckon with Brock Pierce’s past associations and the optics of wealthy backers at the festival. There are credible news reports and archival material documenting his ties to figures like Epstein and Collins‑Rector; whether those ties amount to criminal complicity is a separate legal matter. The conversation on Reddit reflects a larger debate about accountability, donor vetting, and the kind of community Burners want to protect.
Useful links (as cited in the Reddit thread)
– Protos reporting: https://protos.com/brock-pierces-dark-and-disturbing-friendship-with-jeffrey-epstein/
– NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/13/technology/brock-pierce-crypto-puerto-rico.html
– Marc Collins‑Rector (background): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Collins-Rector
– An Open Secret (documentary): https://vimeo.com/142444429
If you’ve been campmates with Pierce or have firsthand info relevant to community safety, consider sharing it with camp leads and the Org’s safety channels rather than airing allegations publicly. The playa is about building — and keeping each other safe while we do it.