Leonardo DiCaprio raised over $40 million to help save the planet at an auction in Saint-Tropez, France, on Wednesday night.
The second annual Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation fundraising gala included a live auction with donated jewelry and artwork from the actor’s personal collection, his publicist, Shawn Sachs, said Thursday.
DiCaprio invited his celebrity friends, including singer Elton John, Kelly Rohrbach, Kate Hudson and Orlando Bloom, to help raise funds for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF), his environmental conservation organization, People magazine writes.
“The Wolf of Wall Street” actor raised $11 million by auctioning off his estate from Belize, Blackadore Caye, the website writes, adding that other items on the auction included two private concerts with Elton John and a limited edition of Rodin’s “The Thinker.” The actor also donated some of his pricey artwork from his personal collection, including some by Andy Warhol and Bansky.
The impressive $40 million collected from the auction go to benefit DiCaprio’s foundation, which works to protect environment and natural habitats. “Tonight’s event is about supporting LDF’s efforts to protect key species like the tiger, rhino, shark and mountain gorilla by working with governments to conserve the jungles, coral reefs and forests they call home,” he said at the event, which took place in St. Tropez, France.
“Focusing on protecting these critically endangered, iconic species is almost like setting up a worldwide network of Noah’s Arks,” DiCaprio added. The actor also highlighted the amount of damage the humans have done to the environment but said that it’s still not too late to wake up and mend it.
DiCaprio also spoke passionately about how humans have destroyed the “forests, wild lands, polluted and over-fished our rivers and oceans,” which are important for the ecosystem and our planet’s biodiversity. “I’m incredibly proud to be part of a night that will allow us to do so much to protect the planet,” he concluded.
