As wildfires devoured Los Angeles this winter, one woman emerged with a plan to lift the city from the ashes. Nicole A. Parke, a self-proclaimed billionaire philanthropist, wrote a letter to Mayor Karen Bass offering to “deploy” a $100 million disaster relief effort for affected Angelenos. She summoned a publicist, sought out deep-pocketed partners, and spoke with the easy authority of someone used to commanding rooms—and capital.
Parke claimed to run a $50 billion investment fund and a medical supplies company with deep federal ties. Since arriving in L.A. a few years prior, she had rubbed shoulders with celebrities like Akon, Blac Chyna, and Lakers legend Derek Fisher. On Instagram, she posed with the president of Costa Rica and Kim Kardashian—who visited Parke at her offices last year.
