Leonardo DiCaprio Raises $25M for Environment Agencia EFE
go to original July 26, 2014

U.S. actor Leonardo DiCaprio (EFE)

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation announced that it managed to raise $25 million for environmental causes at a charity auction in the French resort city of Saint-Tropez this week.

The Oscar-nominated actor received the support of other well-known entertainment personalities, including U.S. singer and actor Jared Leto and French actress Marion Cotillard, along with performances by U2 frontman Bono and Robin Thicke.

The auction, where a Picasso was sold for $1 million, began with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle owned by DiCaprio signed by Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro and DiCaprio himself.

Bono, after performing "Stand By Me," also offered his guitar at the auction, which eventually sold for $1 million, but the piece that brought the highest sales price of the night was a sculpture by British artist Damien Hirst that sold for $6 million.

"Not since the age of the dinosaurs have so many species of plants and animals become extinct in such a short period of time," DiCaprio said in a speech.

"The good news is there are solutions to these massive problems. Efforts like tonight will start addressing them," the 39-year-old actor said.

DiCaprio created his foundation in 1998 in collaboration with environmental experts and leaders, with the aim of protecting biodiversity, supporting the conservation of forests and oceans and ameliorating the effects of climate change.

See the original at La Prensa

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