Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who made his fortune showcasing one type of Hollywood beauty, is sharing his wealth to save another
Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who made his fortune showcasing one type of Hollywood beauty, is sharing his wealth to save anotherA $900,000 (Rs 4 crore) donation from Hefner gave fundraisers the $12.5 millionu00a0 (Rs 55 crore) needed to buy and protect the 138 acres behind the world-famous Hollywood sign, it was announced yesterday.
Saved: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announces the good
news in front of the famous sign yesterday. pic/afpA public land trust was formed to buy the land out of fear that luxury homes would be built near the landmark.
"Today, we have the Hollywood ending we hoped for, and now, Cahuenga Peak will be forever protected by adding it to Griffith Park," said trust president Will Rogers.
Fundraisers covered the famous sign for several days earlier this year to make their point about its importance. Instead, it read, "Save the Peak."
Hefner called the sign "Hollywood's Eiffel Tower."
"My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy," Hefner said.
The land is zoned for luxury homes, but no one has ever built on it.
Other private donors to the Hollywood sign preservation effort included actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg.
Did you know?The land was once bought by aviation pioneer and movie mogul Howard Hughes, who reportedly planned to build a love nest on the peak
