$1 million will buy you a space voyage with Leonardo DiCaprio

The annual amfAR auction and Cinema Against Aids gala, held just outside Cannes, has always been extravagant. But this year's event, which took place last night, took charity to a new level. The auction, which benefits AIDS research, included a 2015 space trip with Leonardo DiCaprio, which sold for 700,000 euros.

Plenty of celebrities, including Jessica Chastain, Justin Bieber, and Paris Hilton, attended the event, which raised a record $38 million for charity. Other items sold included a large selection of rare art, such as a 1967 painting of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol, as well as pieces by Picasso and Damien Hirst. In addition to the auction, the event also included musical performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robin Thicke, and Lana Del Rey.

"Today is the day we can say we have a cure for pediatric AIDS," announced Sharon Stone, who has worked with amfAR for 20 years. "We are in the beginning of the end." Stone also predicted that an HIV vaccine will exist by 2020.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up