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Tycoon Actor C502
🕑 Added 2025-08-20 10:01:39 +0000 UTCThe celebrities present had been informed about the so-called digital creators—YouTubers and streamers—though while some were aware of "internet celebrities," most traditional Hollywood stars weren't particularly familiar with them.
This led to confusion among several attendees about why Lucas would invite these relatively unknown personalities to an auction where items could sell for millions of dollars. Many doubted whether internet celebrities could even afford such purchases, viewing their presence as somewhat pointless.
Many saw them as merely "internet famous" rather than "real" stars.
An older director, watching these internet personalities mingle with A-listers, felt inwardly annoyed. "Knight is very unusual for inviting these wannabes to his event."
"Exactly. The internet is such a distraction these days—it's destroying our society," an established producer agreed. "I limit my children's phone use because they're getting addicted. I don't understand why Knight feels the need to cater to this internet nonsense."
"That's what I'm saying. Anyone can go viral online—that doesn't make them celebrities or stars. There's nothing impressive about them," another traditional director chimed in.
Hollywood in 2018 had a very awkward relationship with internet celebrities. Some directors and producers even felt that platforms like YouTube and Netflix were destroying "cinema" as they knew it.
Many in the industry even considered it a mistake that Knight, such a brilliant actor, was supporting internet and streaming platforms.
Though they tried to be polite to these internet personalities, the disconnect was obvious. Brad Pitt, clearly not understanding their appeal, awkwardly answered when a YouTuber asked, "What's your favorite food?"
"Uh, probably a good steak," he replied with a polite but confused smile.
Meryl Streep maintained her gracious demeanor, smiling kindly at a YouTuber and streamer who had joined her table, though she seemed uncertain about what to discuss with them.
Leonardo DiCaprio was doing his best to be welcoming, though he wasn't naturally drawn to these personalities. If not for Lucas telling him earlier, "Internet personalities are going to be very important in the future. These digital creators can influence millions of people, and they could be incredibly helpful for our causes," he might not have bothered engaging at all.
He was somewhat friendly with PewDiePie, recognizing the significance of his massive following.
"I heard about you from Lucas," Leo said cordially. "You're quite the celebrity with almost 70 million subscribers."
Felix felt genuinely nervous despite his massive online presence. "Haha, yeah. It's pretty crazy."
"You're the number one YouTuber?" Leo asked.
"Yeah, but there's this Indian YouTube channel that's trying to overtake me. I'll probably let them have it though," Felix said softly, referring to the ongoing T-Series battle.
However, some stars genuinely connected with the internet personalities. Drake was particularly comfortable with streamers like Ninja, having already been exposed to the gaming world through their famous Fortnite collaborations.
Will Smith, who had recently started his own YouTube channel, was naturally curious about the platform's biggest creators. Shawn Mendes, who'd risen to fame through Vine, understood the internet's relevance to modern entertainment.
The mysterious DJ Marshmello was enthusiastically chatting with Fortnite streamers, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was having animated conversations with multiple YouTubers, including Mr. Beast and several other content creators, genuinely interested in understanding their platforms.
There were also younger stars like Tom Holland and Zendaya who were being completely goofy with the internet personalities, taking selfies and genuinely enjoying the crossover between their worlds.
Although Hollywood stars and internet creators were mixed together, everything flowed remarkably well—it was just a refreshing yet unfamiliar feeling for the traditional celebrities to share the same room with digital stars.
Finally, stepping onto the stage were the people everyone had been waiting for—Lucas and Jennifer.
Jennifer looked out at the room full of celebrities and couldn't help but feel grateful. "Thank you all for attending tonight." She added with a knowing smile, "With this many people who have accountants telling them they need tax write-offs, I'm confident we can hit a hundred million easily."
Playful chuckles rippled through the crowd, mostly from the Hollywood veterans, directors, and producers who understood the inside joke about charitable donations and taxes.
The internet celebrities just went along with the laughter, though everything was very new to them.
"But seriously, I genuinely want to thank everyone here. And now, here's my husband to give his speech." Jennifer stepped aside for Lucas.
Lucas nodded gratefully at her before taking the microphone. Looking out at the mixed crowd of Hollywood and internet personalities, he couldn't help but feel genuinely happy.
"First of all, I'm incredibly grateful that both legends and new generation celebrities took the time to attend this event," he said warmly. "People who've entertained millions through movie screens, and people who entertain millions through digital screens."
"We may have different backgrounds and different paths to stardom, but I've realized that fame isn't about the platform—it's about touching people's lives. Tonight, we're all here to support causes that matter: medical research, poverty relief, mental health awareness. These aren't Hollywood problems or internet problems. These are human problems."
"The beautiful thing about this room is that together, we can reach every demographic, every age group, every corner of the world. A movie star can reach their audience when supporting a cause. A YouTuber can reach theirs. But here? Working together, we reach everyone."
He concluded with energy, "So let's have some fun tonight, spend some money on worthy causes, and show the world what happens when Hollywood and the internet actually collaborate."
Applause filled the room, though the enthusiasm varied noticeably. The internet creators clapped enthusiastically, genuinely touched that Lucas had elevated their status to equal footing with Hollywood royalty.
Hollywood stars also applauded, but more politely, with some veterans feeling that Lucas was perhaps overestimating the internet creators' importance.
Whispered conversations started among the older guard:
"He's really putting these YouTubers on the same level as us?" an established director murmured to his companion.
"I suppose it's good for charity, but this feels like pandering to a fad," replied a veteran producer.
Despite the subtle division, the energy in the room remained positive as the auction prepared to begin.
The first auction item was presented by Lucas himself. "Here's the Elvis pink suit and guitar I actually used in the film," he announced, holding up both items. "Starting bid for each is $1,000."
The moment bidding began, the auction officially kicked off with someone immediately offering $10,000. Tobey Maguire raised his paddle for the guitar at $20,000.
A producer countered with $25,000, but then Bruno Mars jumped in with a decisive $50,000 bid.
Tom Hanks, being both an Elvis fan and Lucas's co-star, tried to compete but ultimately lost when Bruno secured the guitar for $70,000.
The celebrities around Bruno congratulated him with grins. "I had to get it—I'm basically Elvis myself," Bruno laughed, clearly thrilled with his purchase.
The pink suit went to Bruno as well for $29,000.
"Looks like we have a serious Elvis collector here," Lucas said with a grin, focusing on Bruno. "Should I be worried you're planning to become my understudy?"
Everyone chuckled as they moved to the second auction item.
This time, a surprising figure took the stage—internet celebrity Michael Reeves, holding what appeared to be a small robot.
"So, uh, I made this robot that screams every time someone says the word 'charity,'" Michael announced in his typical deadpan style. "It took me three weeks and way too much money to build something completely useless. Starting bid is $500."
The YouTubers who knew Michael immediately started chuckling among themselves, while the Hollywood stars looked genuinely confused about what was happening.
"Only $2,000?" Michael looked mock-disappointed when the first real bid came in. "I spent actual time and effort on this masterpiece of pointless engineering. Plus I had to buy, like, so many Arduino boards."
When someone offered $5,000, he perked up. "Now that's what I'm talking about! This robot will scream 'CHARITY' in your house forever. What's not to love?"
Funny thing is, after the robot heard Michael say "charity," it suddenly let out a high-pitched, mechanical "AHHHHHHH!" that sounded like a smoke detector having an existential crisis.
The YouTubers were eating it up, while several Hollywood veterans exchanged bewildered glances, clearly not understanding why anyone would pay thousands for a screaming robot.
But at the same time, they could understand since it was for charity after all.
In the end, Mr. Beast managed to get it for $10,000.
Next up was Ninja, selling signed Fortnite merchandise and gaming peripherals with a starting bid of $100.
Lucas watched the bidding from his table alongside Jennifer, Taylor Swift, Leo, and Tobey.
"Fortnite? Is that a children's game?" Taylor asked with furrowed brows.
"Yeah. And that guy auctioning is Ninja—he's pretty popular in the gaming world," Lucas informed everyone.
They nodded along, genuinely impressed that gaming items were reaching thousands of dollars. The lot sold for $20,000 to Will Smith.
As the Hollywood stars and veterans began feeling somewhat left out by these internet celebrity auctions, Robert Downey Jr. finally stepped onto the stage.
"Hi guys, happy to be here," he waved with his signature smirk. "So we've got internet celebrities, we've got Hollywood royalty—and now you get the privilege of owning something I definitely didn't steal from Marvel." He gestured to the staff with theatrical flair. "Bring out the evidence."
Staff members wheeled out a covered item on a large cart. Robert dramatically removed the cover, revealing the giant Avengers "A" logo from the Age of Ultron set.
The moment Hollywood stars saw it, they couldn't help but chuckle and laugh softly at the absurdity of Robert actually stealing something that massive.
"This guy is serious!" Lucas chuckled.
"Did he really just walk off set with that?" Jennifer laughed.
"How do you even fit that in your car?" Taylor wondered aloud.
"The man's commitment to souvenirs is impressive," Leo shook his head with amusement.
"I'm surprised security didn't stop him," Tobey added with a grin.
"So yeah, this is the iconic Avengers logo that I may have... creatively acquired during filming," Robert said with complete confidence and zero shame. "Look, when you're Tony Stark, you develop certain habits about taking tech home. This just happened to be really, really big tech." He paused for effect. "Starting bid is $1,000, and trust me, Disney has no idea this is here."
The bidding began and Lucas tried to bid for it at $20,000.
Robert looked at Lucas and pointed at him with his signature smirk. "Ladies and gentlemen, the real-life Bruce Wayne just dropped twenty grand like it's pocket change. Lucas Knight, everybody—making the rest of us look fiscally responsible." He gestured to the crowd. "Come on, don't let him walk away with this. I need to know it went to a good home that can afford the insurance."
YouTubers and streamers also joined the bidding. After all, it was a Marvel prop owned by Robert Downey Jr. himself, and Marvel was still massively popular.
The item eventually went to Ryan Reynolds for $58,000. He grabbed the mic with a deadpan expression. "I bought this so I can return it to Disney and finally get them to answer my calls about Deadpool 3. It's basically a very expensive business card."
The celebrities and internet stars around Ryan burst into laughter. Ryan was effortlessly funny and had no trouble connecting with the internet personalities.
The rest of the Marvel cast was equally easy-going, especially Robert, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland and Chris Evans.
Speaking of Marvel, Chris Hemsworth stepped up next, auctioning an authentic Thor hammer. "So Disney stopped sending me these when they realized my garage looks like a Viking armory," he said in his charming Australian accent. "My wife threatened to leave me if I brought home one more hammer, so here we are."
The crowd laughed again. Celebrities chuckled among themselves.
"What the hell, it's not just Robert who's the weird Marvel actor," someone whispered.
"I think they all just take whatever isn't nailed down," another replied.
"At this point I'm surprised Chris Evans didn't show up with Captain America's shield," Taylor Swift added with amusement.
"Don't give him ideas," Jennifer laughed.
Chris managed to sell the hammer for $7,000 to a Disney producer, which added another layer of irony to the whole situation.
The auction continued with streamers also participating. Many of them had been streaming the event live, receiving donations that reached thousands of dollars, which they generously contributed to the charity.
As the evening progressed, they had already accumulated $7 million, and most items had been auctioned in good fun. The auction was far from over, but with both Hollywood and internet stars participating, reaching even higher numbers seemed entirely possible.
Comments
Tyler Karp
Thank you for the chapter
Cinema Man
"He's really putting these YouTubers on the same level as us?" an established director murmured to his companion." a lot of smack from a nameless npc outside of Hollywood ehhh
