The UFO-shaped balloon alleged to have given “Balloon Boy” his famous ride in 2009 is now the possession of an Aurora resident, a lawyer for the Heene family told the Fort Collins Coloradoan.
The winner of the online auction, who has not yet been named, is planning to hold a press conference, Perry Rausher told the newspaper. He declined to name the winner.
Though Richard Heene said the famous balloon was worth $1 million when he announced the auction, the auction raised $2,502. The proceeds of the auction will go to Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.
The Heenes are barred by the court from profiting from their hoax.
The Heene family lived in Fort Collins in October 2009, when a national TV coverage went live as the silver, home-made balloon sailed across the Colorado plains.
Richard and Mayumi Heene alerted authorities that their 6-year-old son, Falcon, was aboard.
It was later learned Falcon was hiding in the attic of the garage, and that Richard Heene had staged the hoax in hopes of improving the family’s chances of getting their own reality TV show.
Richard Heene pleaded guilty to a felony count of attempting to influence a public servant, and he served a 30-day jail term. Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to filing a false report and served a 20-day jail term.
The Heenes and their three sons now live in Florida.
