Billionaires, Tech Giants, and Celebrities Donate to LA Wildfire Victims: How Much Did They Give?

Financial support is pouring in for the Los Angeles wildfire victims as renowned celebrities, leading technology firms, and billionaires come together to lend a helping hand.

Federal and local aid programs are working to compensate survivors with temporary shelter and funding for essentials during this difficult time. However, the additional support from renowned movie stars, musicians, tech entrepreneurs, and global companies will further help LA fire survivors in their recovery journey.

Here's a list of donations made by renowned people and companies over the past week:

Leonardo Di Caprio

Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio posted on Instagram that he will donate £819,000 ($1 million) to support "urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts" in Los Angeles. The initial aid will immediately benefit the Los Angeles Fire Department and the California Fire Foundation.

The environmentalist will donate in collaboration with his organisation Re:wild Rapid Response program. "The Los Angeles wildfires are devastating our city," the Oscar-winning actor stated on his Instagram story.

The 50-year-old actor added that this environmental conservation organisation was "uniquely positioned to respond to environmental disasters and emergencies."

Beyoncé

Meanwhile, Beyoncé's BeyGood Foundation also wrote in an Instagram post that it pledged £2.04 million ($2.5 million) to help affected families during the recovery phase.

The foundation will donate the money to the LA Fire Relief Fund, which is working tirelessly to assist impacted residents during the raging wildfires.

"The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centres to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires," according to the foundation's post.

Paris Hilton

Celebrity Paris Hilton joined the cause by launching an emergency fund via her nonprofit organisation 11:11 Media Impact to support wildfire survivors who lost their entire homes. Hilton will contribute £81,970 ($100,000) to the fund and make further personal donations of up to $100,000.

Hilton is also among the victims who lost their homes in the fires. "My heart is with everyone impacted by the devastating fires here in LA," she wrote on Instagram. "While I've lost my Malibu home, my thoughts are with the countless families who have lost so much more — their homes, cherished keepsakes, the communities they loved, and their sense of stability."

"As a mom, I can't imagine the pain and fear of not having a safe place for your babies," she added. "I'm asking others to join me in doing our part to support these families."

The Eagles

The Eagles rock band recently announced they pledged £2.04 million ($2.5 million) to the upcoming FireAid benefit concert for Los Angeles fire victims, scheduled for 30th January at Intuit Dome. However, it hasn't been confirmed yet whether the rock band will be part of the concert.

The event, described as "an evening of music and solidarity," is produced by the Irving Azoff family alongside Live Nation and AEG Presents.

All concert proceeds will directly go towards an organisation launched to rebuild LA infrastructure and support displaced families.

Mark Zuckerberg

The second-richest person in the world and Meta Platforms founder Mark Zuckerberg, along with his wife Priscilla, donated £1.63 million ($2 million) towards the cause.

Their pledge will directly benefit on-the-ground relief services.

Furthermore, Meta donated another $2 million to firms like the Pasadena Humane Society and the American Red Cross to help the affected families.

Steve Ballmer

Billionaire and LA Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie announced yesterday that the Ballmer Group will pledge £12.29 million ($15 million) in emergency funding to families affected by wildfires in the Altadena region.

The Ballmer family is also involved in hosting the upcoming FireAid concert in partnership with the Azoff Family.

YouTube and Google

In a 15th January news release, Google and YouTube announced they would contribute £12.29 million ($15 million) together with Google.org to firms like the American Red Cross, the Emergency Network Los Angeles, and the Institute for Nonprofit News.

The tech firms will continue to support rebuilding efforts in the future in partnership with industry peers.

Amazon

In a blog post, online retail and AI player Amazon said it will donate £8.19 million ($10 million) to national disaster response organisations, including the Red Cross, the LA Fire Department Foundation, and the Habitat For Los Angeles Wildfire Fund.

The donation comes from Amazon's entertainment unit and the Ring and Whole Foods Market.

Amazon has actively participated in the relief effort, donating over 145,000 essential items to 17 local organisations.

It will also equip emergency responders with AWS cloud tech and drone support to improve response times and strategies for dealing with the ongoing wildfires.