Leonardo DiCaprio Auctions Off Gala Poker Night

Founded in 1998, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is a charity dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of the Earth’s wildlife and restoring balance to threatened ecosystems through conservation projects that includes wildlands, oceans, and climate change.
In order to raise funds for its project, on July 20th the charity subsequently hosted its third annual auction, and one of the prizes on offer was a fun-filled poker night with Hollywood actors Ed Norton and Jonah Hill, as well as a number of “top poker professionals.” Norton, 46, famously starred in the 1998 movie Rounders, which has since become a cult classic amongst poker fans, and as the foundation’s website explained at the time:
“You’ll receive coaching from one of the best poker players in the world, and hear stories over dinner about how the movie [Rounders] that launched the international poker craze was made.”
Needless to say, the auction attracted a great deal of attention, and in the end one unknown bidder paid $121,300 for the honor of playing cards and rubbing shoulders with the two movie stars.
The first two DiCaprio Foundation auctions raised $25 million and $40 million, respectively, and this year’s auction held at the Domaine Bertaud Belieu vineyard in St. Tropez proved once again a spectacularly successful affair with a record $45 million in funds raised to help with its charitable projects.
Some of the other items offered at the auction included a Leonardo DiCaprio 18K White Gold Daytona Rolex; a classic 1950 Jaguar Mark V Drophead automobile; a week on set with Martin Scorsese, DeNiro, and Pacino; a private live performance by Kevin Spacey from the comfort of your own living room; and attending the U.S. Open Men’s Final on September 11th as DiCaprio’s personal guest. A Jeff Koons painting also sold on the night for $4 million, while a Picasso canvas raised a further $3.75 million.