Billionaires And Celebrities Pledge Aid To Los Angeles Fire Victims—As Beyoncé’s Foundation Gives $2.5 Million
Key Facts
Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation on Sunday said it would donate $2.5 million to the L.A. Fire Relief Fund to help those in Altadena and Pasadena who have lost homes, as well as to “churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires” (Beyoncé and her husband, Jay Z, live in a $200 million Malibu mansion).
Airbnb last week announced it would work with a local nonprofit to provide free temporary housing to those displaced by the fires, and said it experienced "an absolute crush of applications, thousand and thousands."
Walmart said it will donate $2.5 million worth of cash, food, water and other essentials to help with wildfire relief.
The Kroger grocery giant pledged $1 million to assist families impacted by the fire.
Disney has pledged $15 million in aid for those affected by the wildfires, with funds going toward organizations like the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Regional Food bank, while additional resources would be offered to any affected employee.
Paramount donated $1 million to relief efforts, with donations to the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen and Best Friends Animal Society, according to an internal memo obtained by Variety.
Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook wrote on X saying the company will be donating to support victims and recovery efforts, though he has not specified an amount.
FanDuel and its parent company Flutter Entertainment said the companies will donate a combined $250,000 to relief efforts, including donations to Americares and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Fox Corp. has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross’ relief fund and encouraged the network’s viewers to support the organization’s efforts.
Paris Hilton, whose home was destroyed by the Palisades fire, launched an emergency fund through her nonprofit, 11:11 Media Impact, and donated an initial $100,000, noting she would match additional donations up to another $100,000.
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire businessman tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next administrator of NASA, has said he will match the first $1 million donated to his company's relief campaign.
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the third richest person in the world, said he and his wife Priscilla are personally donating to relief efforts and billionaire KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky said his charity, Frontline Impact Project, is "working to bring not just supplies, but a sense of hope and care to those affected."
Jamie Lee Curtis, who feared she'd lost her own Santa Monica home before confirming the structure was safe, has pledged to donate $1 million to wildfire relief with her husband, actor and director Christopher Guest.
Curtis, an American Red Cross ambassador, also appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Wednesday night, where she encouraged viewers to "do anything you can" to help people: "Give blood, donate, whatever you can do, animal shelters," she said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—who have been seen visiting with firefighters tackling the Eaton fire—have reportedly made monetary donations to relief efforts; donated clothing, children's items and other supplies, and have directed people to support organizations including the World Central Kitchen, CAL FIRE, LA Fire Department Foundation, Animal Wellness Foundation, Compton Cowboys and Baby2baby.
Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family, posted that she was making an unspecified donation to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund, an extension of the California Fire Foundation.
The NFL will sell team-specific Rams and Chargers hats and shirts to benefit the LAFD Foundation; 50% of the Rams 50/50 Raffle from Monday’s game will be donated to the LAFD Foundation and American Red Cross; and the league is donating $5 million to wildfire relief efforts led by individual contributions from clubs and ownership groups from the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans and NFL Foundation.
Actresses Halle Berry and Sharon Stone have expressed support for a local boutique and home goods store, called +COOP, which has turned into a pop-up shop for those in need of clothing after losing their homes in the fire (Berry posted she was "packing up my entire closet" to help displaced families).
Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel said her charity, BStrong, has partnered with the Global Empowerment Mission to send aid to those affected.
Big Number
$2.5 million. That's how much has been raised from 4,000 donors for the California Community Foundations Wildlife Recovery Fund, Los Angeles officials said Friday.
Key Background
There are three major fires still burning in the vicinity of Los Angeles, including the Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres, and the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 14,000. The Eaton fire was 33% contained as of Monday morning, and the Palisades fire was 14% contained. Other fires that have burned hundreds of acres include the Lidia Fire near the Angeles National Forest, Hurst Fire near San Fernando and Kenneth Fire just outside of Calabasas. Fires started burning in Los Angeles County Wednesday and little is known about how they began. One fire, the Kenneth fire, could have been started by a suspected arsonist who was arrested on Thursday after neighbors spotted him with a “propane tank or flamethrower" while "trying to light something on fire." At least 24 people have died since the fires began. The most impacted area so far, the Pacific Palisades, is home to scores of celebrities and local landmarks. The average home price in the area is $3 million, and those including actor Adam Brody and his wife actress Leighton Meester; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick; Hilton; Billy Crystal; Tina Knowles; and reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have all said they lost their homes in the fires.
Tangent
The Los Angeles wildfires are on track to be among the costliest in U.S. history about 18 months after a devastating wildfire in Hawaii became the deadliest blaze ever recorded in America. After the Maui fires, donations from billionaires and celebrities poured in, including $100 million from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sánchez and $10 million from billionaire Oprah Winfrey and actor Dwayne Johnson.
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