Jordan Strauss/Wireimage
Tinseltown can thank Hugh Hefner for saving its most prized possession -- their iconic Hollywood sign -- as the Playboy Mogul reached deep into his pockets to keep the landmark standing.
Hefner shelled out a whopping $900,000 to the Trust for Public Land, providing the remaining cash needed for the $12.5 million fee, to purchase the 138 acres surrounding the Hollywood sign and prevent it from being developed.
"My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy," Hef said. "As I've said before, the Hollywood sign is Hollywood's Eiffel Tower, and I am pleased to help preserve such an important cultural landmark."
Hefner joins the likes of big-wigs Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and Norman Lear, along with various studios and networks, who chipped in to save the sign and the land surrounding it from possibly becoming a new strip mall.
Plus:
- Kate Gosselin in Playboy? Hef Says No!
- Hugh Hefner Files for Divorce -- Finally!
What do you think of the stars spending their own cash to save the Hollywood sign? Chime in below!
