Big headlines: Leonardo DiCaprio’s private foundation raised $40 million for environmental causes ast night in St. Tropez. Lots of big stars were on hand, and the press is everywhere.
But LDF, as Leo calls it, hasn’t filed a public itemized report since 2008. That’s the year that DiCaprio moved his foundation under the California Community Fund, which files reports in general as a summary for all its funds.
LDF is not itemized, so there’s no way of knowing what’s happening. Transparency is zilch.
From 2000 to 2008, LDF was on its own and filed individual reports. By its last couple of years, DiCaprio was giving between $200,000 and $250,000 to mostly environmental groups. The directors of the foundation included his parents and ubiquitous Hollywood – Harvard liaison Jeffrey Sachs.
DiCaprio’s move into the CCF removed his foundation from any public scrutiny. This would be unlike Madonna, whose Ray of Light Foundation is often chronicled in this space, or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Jolie-Pitt Foundation.
Last week, DiCaprio announced that he was donating $15 million to 30 different organizations. But there’s absolutely no way of knowing what’s really going on, other than relying on press releases. And the press does a great job of that.
There’s no question that DiCaprio is committed to investing in the environment. His commitment stretches back to 1998, the year after he made real money– a reported $100 million — from “Titanic.” But it would seem a little less sketchy to have the details, just as with most other foundations.
