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Thursday 21 September 2017

Leonardo's millions

This story is interesting in an odd kind of way.

Leonardo DiCaprio announced Tuesday that his eco-focused foundation has given more than $20 million this year in fresh grants to more than 100 organizations around the world.

From lion recovery and mangrove restoration to the defense of indigenous rights and better access to affordable solar energy, the actor announced the grants ahead of his appearance at a climate change conference at Yale University.

He planned to use the appearance to urge more immediate steps to reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources.


I used to dismiss the guy as a hypocritical, virtue-signalling plonker but he seems to believe too. No doubt the money could be better spent but he is not an ungenerous hypocritical, virtue-signalling plonker.

9 comments:

Penseivat said...

This is money he has extorted from businesses and individuals more than his own money - his presence and sponsorship connections being worth more than mere dollars. He is also well known for using his gas guzzling private
jets to fly all over the world to promote a greener, ecological, way of life. Perhaps they don't do irony in Hollywood.

A K Haart said...

pen sieve - yes his blatant hypocrisy is almost funny so I think you must be right - they don't do irony in Hollywood.

Scrobs. said...

I'm not sure exactly who he is.

Does he appear in films, or is he an actor?

Odd name really, no doubt someone who was originally labelled Knobby Clark...

Sackerson said...

@ pen sieve and AKH: How "extorted"? Silly. And he flies in planes - anyone not done that? It seems only good people can be criticised, for not being impossibly perfect.

James Higham said...

Not ungenerous, just misguided in some ways.

Demetrius said...

If his money is in a complicated company structure off shore then among the many things that can be done is to allocate funds to charitable organisations. That way not only is it possible to pay a lot less tax, you also get the kudos of being a generous giver.

A K Haart said...

Scrobs - I'm not familiar with his acting outside the eco-warrior game, but he appears in films.

Sackers – not sure if this is what pen seive means, but climate and wider environmental activism are far too dodgy to escape the accusation. For example Resolute Forest Products Inc. has accused Greenpeace of extortion in a court case which I believe is still running.

James - maybe so. Hard to say from a distance.

Demetrius - I believe it is done via a foundation. Don't know the details.

Weekend Yachtsman said...

Call me back when he starts getting about the world by scheduled flights rather than his private jet.

Or better still, when he progresses around by sailing ship.

Until then, for me he remains a hypocritical virtue-signalling plonker.

A K Haart said...

WY - that's my default position.