LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Playboy Enterprises founder Hugh Hefner has stepped up to save the iconic Hollywood sign.
Just five days before the April 30 deadline, Hefner donated $900,000 to the public land trust organized to protect the 138 acres behind the sign.
Hefner’s contribution gives the fundraisers the $12.5 million it needs to stop the land from being put up for already zoned luxury home development.
"Today, we have the Hollywood ending we hoped for, and now, Cahuenga Peak will be forever protected by adding it to Griffith Park," trust President Will Rogers, said in a statement.
Hefner called the sign "Hollywood's Eiffel Tower."
"My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy," Hefner said.