Jay-Z staged a James Bond-themed casino party in Atlantic City recently that helped raise $24 million for criminal justice reform. A whole host of celebrities were in attendance at the event, including everyone from Travis Scott and Lil Baby to Tom Brady and Kim Kardashian. It was held to support REFORM Alliance.
Partying for a Good Cause
Jay-Z doesn’t usually need a reason to put together plans for a party. But on September 30, he decided to hold a party for a good cause. He held a James Bond-themed casino party at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City to help raise money for REFORM Alliance, which is an organization that actively advocates for criminal justice reform.
Jay-Z helped found REFORM Alliance back in 2019 along with Meek Mill, Michael Rubin, Robert Kraft, and a handful of others.
Lots of Big Names Were There
As usual, Jay-Z didn’t pull any punches when it was time to create a guest list for his casino party to benefit REFORM Alliance. More than 250 people attended the party, including dozens of celebrities. Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, and Kevin Hart, who hosted the party, were just a few of the celebs who made appearances at the event.
There were also a variety of musicians who performed at the event, such as Travis Scott, Lil Baby, Fat Joe, French Montana, and others.
One Notable Person Was Missing
There certainly wasn’t any shortage of star power at Jay-Z’s most recent party. But there was one celebrity who managed to raise a few eyebrows by not showing up for it. Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé was noticeably missing from the event.
Not to worry, though, as Beyoncé was reportedly in Atlantic City on the night of the party, but she was busy resting up for the final leg of her Renaissance World Tour while it was taking place, so she didn’t make an appearance.
The Blackjack Tournament Was a Blast
During Jay-Z’s party, a blackjack tournament was held to help raise money for REFORM Alliance. It featured a $100,000 buy-in. Kardashian, Brady, Hart, and many of the other celebrities in attendance at the event took part in the tournament.
It ended with Andrew Goldberg, who is the managing partner of TAO GROUP, winning a blackjack hand for $1 million. Goldberg chose to donate $750,000 of his winnings to REFORM Alliance.
The Live Auction Was Lit, Too
Outside of holding a million-dollar blackjack tournament at his party, Jay-Z also staged a live auction. It featured numerous items donated by some of the celebrities who were at the party, including Brady and Jay-Z himself.
Brady and Kardashian got involved in a heated bidding war over a George Condo painting that Brady eventually took home for over $2 million. Afterward, Condo agreed to create another painting just for Kardashian. The live auction itself ended up generating almost $8 million for REFORM Alliance.
Jay-Z’s Party Surpassed Expectations
There is no telling how much money Jay-Z was hoping to raise by holding his star-studded casino party. But there is a good chance it ended up raising way more than he may have initially anticipated.
By the time the event was over, it brought in about $24 million for REFORM Alliance. The organization has already helped more than 700,000 people through its criminal justice reform initiatives, and it should be able to help out even more thanks to all the donations it just received.
The post Raising the Bar: Jay-Z Throws an Epic Bash, Raising $24 Million for Criminal Justice Reform first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Brian Friedman. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.