Real Estate Mogul Repositions Desert Estate As A Pinnacle For Philanthropy

The LuisaViaRoma for UNICEF benefit in St. Barts in January 2022 celebrates the value of merging charity and star power at the highest level. The highly-coveted, hot ticket event sends a clear message about the bridge between philanthropy and entertainment, and how celebrities are becoming more eager to involve themselves in charitable causes.

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of many celebrities who attended UNICEF’s gala, and supported the event’s mission of providing aid to children worldwide. Italian retailer LuisaViaRoma has partnered with the organization for several years to host fundraisers and events with high-profile guest lists and donors.

This year marked the fifth fundraising event co-hosted by the two organizations, and it brought in €4 million euros ($4.1 million). Collectively, throughout the history of the gala, €13 million euros ($13.1 million) have been raised to support UNICEF’s philanthropic efforts. UNICEF has historically been passionate about collaborating with celebrities, entrepreneurs, and like-minded individuals and companies with a shared commitment to charitable causes.

A three-night stay at Zenyara, in Indio, California, was auctioned off to DiCaprio. Zenyara is the brainchild of Michael H. Scott, a real estate mogul connected with Hollywood’s elite, who has established himself as someone prominently known for setting a high standard for giving back.

The billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist is peeling back the curtains behind his well-known 70-acre Zenyara Estate, which has famously hosted charitable endeavors and functions for several years. The unique architectural desert property has served as a backdrop for events organized by a multitude of philanthropic organizations, ranging from UNICEF to Los Angeles’ Baby2Baby, and continues to be a safe haven and sanctuary for celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Vanessa Bryant, and other A-Listers visiting the Palm Springs area. Two months after the UNICEF auction, Scott offered up the exclusive estate to One Republic, who performed a show for charity ahead of Coachella. But despite the star power that Zenyara attracts, Scott’s greatest passion and mission remains serving as a pinnacle for philanthropic events, and the charity funds it produces via property rentals.

Needless to say, the real estate tycoon practices what he preaches, and has changed the purpose of Zenyara over the years. Being intentional in his approach has changed public perception of the property, which was once known for its opulent parties, attended by the likes of Gigi Hadid and Dua Lipa, but is now celebrated for its philanthropic endeavors.

Scott, the mobile home park tycoon and managing partner of Kort & Scott Financial Group, who has been featured on Forbes’ Billionaires list in the past, believes that knowledge and opportunity should be passed down as someone develops in their respective industry.

“I think it’s vital that as someone becomes more successful that they branch out and focus on developing future generations,” Scott said. “Becoming a vital cog and helping people in need in society shouldn’t be seen as a chore, it’s a responsibility.”

Other executives across a multitude of industries, but most notably Hollywood, have also used their platforms to reposition themselves and their companies in 2022. Producer Dan Lin, known for films such as Aladdin, The Lego Movie, Sherlock Holmes, and Godzilla vs Kong, is launching a non-profit backed by several institutions – including the Ford and MacArthur foundations – that will help radicalized groups create, develop, and produce films, audio projects, and TV series. Lin, whose company’s nonprofit arm, Rideback Rise, is leading this endeavor, joins Scott in setting an example for other entertainment executives to give back.

Jeff Bezos also announced in an interview with CNN on Monday 14th November that he will donate most of his $124 billion worth during his lifetime opining during the talk, “The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way.” Bezos continued, “It’s not easy. Building AmazonAMZN
was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a bunch of very smart teammates, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding — and I think Lauren is finding the same thing — that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.”

From the perspective of the entertainment industry founder and CEO of the film and television company Rideback, Lin said, “There’s no shortage of talented, diverse creators, artists, and entrepreneurs,” “The only scarcity is opportunity, the funding and the risk-taking that’s always existed at the center of this Hollywood content machine. We’re really determined to break through these restricted access points, enlarge the funnel, and activate more creatives of color.”

“What Dan is doing should be applauded and used as inspiration for others.” Scott said. “Philanthropic initiatives in the entertainment industry are more important now more than ever.”

“I pivoted the use of the Zenyara Estate so it wasn’t just used for recreational and social activities to focus more on charitable events and functions,” Scott explained. “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made and I hope more people focus on what they can give back, especially in the times we’re currently in.”

While Zenyara has always been an obvious choice for star-studded soirees, Scott understood there was a more impactful opportunity at play to make a difference. “Giving back to the world is one of my biggest missions, and how I feel the greatest sense of purpose and fulfillment,” Scott noted, further sharing that Warren Buffet and Bill Gates’ “Giving Pledge” project has fueled his enthusiasm for philanthropy. “I aspire to give others the opportunity to succeed and be a small part of supporting and fast-tracking their journeys.”