Sean Penn's Annual Gala for Haiti Raises Millions with Sotheby's

<![CDATA[Sean Penn held his annual gala raising money for Haiti through the J/P HRO & Disaster Relief Organizations at Milk Studios in Los Angeles this year. A-list attendees included Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Lena Dunham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Segal, Connie Britton, and Leonardo DiCaprio, among many others. The auction, put on by Sotheby's, featured a number of well-contested items and opportunities; among these an opportunity to watch a "Game of Thrones" episode with one of the show's stars, and gala attendee, Emilia Clarke. Brad Pitt bid $90,000, but raised his own bid to $120,000 when Kit Harrington offered to also watch with the winner. Pitt was eventually outbid by another gala-goer who ended the auction at $160,000. Clarke took home a painting by artist Josh Smith, after outbidding DiCaprio. He won the auction for another of the artist's works later in the evening, so both ended the night with spectacular artwork. DiCaprio was also honored for his work combating climate change. During his speech, DiCaprio applauded Penn for his philanthropic work with Haiti. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that has," said DiCaprio. By midway through, the gala had raised more than $3 million to support efforts in Haiti, with fundraising continuing throughout the night.

Photo by Michael Buckner/WWD/REX/Shutterstock (9308863as)
Emilia Clarke
Sean Penn's JP HRO Gala, Inside, Los Angeles, USA - 06 Jan 2018

Photo by Michael Buckner/WWD/REX/Shutterstock (9308863as) Emilia Clarke Sean Penn's JP HRO Gala, Inside, Los Angeles, USA - 06 Jan 2018