Trip to space with DiCaprio costs $1.5-M

CANNES, France – Leonardo DiCaprio is going to get closer to stars of a different kind as he heads into space aboard the Virgin Galactic, and a well-heeled bidder at the Cannes Film Festival has paid 1.2 million euros (US$1.5 million) to be his travel buddy.

The Hollywood star’s sub-orbital trip was among 20 goodies up for grabs at the 20th amfAR bash, a gala auction that is one of the glitziest festival events and that this year helped raise a record-breaking $25 million for AIDS research.

Other big-ticket items were a role as an extra in 4 Hollywood movies, including a feature starring DiCaprio (1.5 million euros); two VIP seats for the 2014 Oscars awards (140,000 euros); a private acoustic concert for 45 people by Simon Le Bon and John Taylor of Duran Duran (400,000 euros); and a game of six-a-side against a team led by Zinedine Zidane (380,000 euros).

DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman, Janet Jackson, Jessica Chastain, Kylie Minogue, Audrey Tautou, Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kristin Scott Thomas and Paris Hilton were among the 900 people who attended the charity dinner event at Antibes’ Eden Roc hotel.

A table for 10 cost 120,000 euros, and an individual seat nearly 3,000 euros.

Entertainment was provided by Duran Duran, who played their classic “Girls on Film,” Shirley Bassey, who sang the signature Bond song “Goldfinger,” and American Music Awards winner Hot Chelle Rae performed their smash “Tonight, Tonight.”

This year’s auction raked in more than twice the amount collected in 2012. Since 1993, the gala has raised 87 million euros. – Rappler.com