Hugh Hefner Saves Hollywood! (OK, Just the Sign)

Playboy magnate donates the last $900,000 needed to "Save the Peak" and prevent development around the Hollywood sign

While his aesthetic preferences may skew slightly plastic these days, it's nice to know Hugh Hefner still has an appreciation for natural beauty.

The Playboy founder has provided the final donation—a whopping $900,000—to the Trust for Public Land, providing the last push for the group to raise the $12.5 million needed to purchase the 138 acres surrounding the Hollywood sign and prevent it from being developed.

Who better to save a Hollywood icon than a Hollywood icon?

"My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy," says Hef. "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 joined fellow deep-pocketed preservationists Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Norman Lear, along with most studios, networks and various other signophiles, in helping Save the Peak.