Leonardo DiCaprio Once Invested in an Automotive Company That Went Bankrupt
Hollywood celebrities will often use their notoriety and fame as a platform to leverage support for various causes and charities. Some stars lend their support with contributions or volunteer to be the face of the organization. Leonardo DiCaprio has aligned his passion and mission with several worthy causes and expressly supports environmental preservation.
Not all of DiCaprio’s ventures have proven to be successful, however. And one automotive company in which he invested ended up in bankruptcy.
The causes near and dear to Leonardo Dicaprio’s heart
DiCaprio created his own foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which is dedicated to wildlife and environmental preservation.
Over the years, he has also made significant efforts to support other causes like the SOS Children’s Village in Mozambique, the Los Feliz branch of the L.A. Public Library, and even joined protestors in Washington, D.C., demonstrating for a call to climate change.
He’s also produced and participated in many educational films and documentaries, shedding light on dark environmental issues, including 11th Hour. DiCaprio additionally serves on the Board of Directors for the Pacific Palisades, Reef Check Foundation.
How Leonardo DiCaprio attained his status in Hollywood
DiCaprio is a favorite of film lovers and one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, as he worked hard to achieve his iconic-level status. He wasn’t always famous and started out his career in television, before venturing onto the big screen.
He landed an Oscar nomination for his legendary performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). His career trajectory projected from there with his star-launching role in James Cameron’s Titanic. He continues to work with director greats like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino and loves to take on edgy and unique roles.
Some of his most popular films include The Aviator (2004), Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). He won his first Oscar with The Revenant (2015).
His love of the environment led DiCaprio to a car company
Leonardo DiCaprio’s loyalty to preserving the environment naturally led him to discover and explore hybrid and electric cars. That’s what led him to become a buyer, investor, and promoter of Fisker Automotive, according to USA Today.
“My foundation supports efforts to secure a sustainable future for our planet and all its inhabitants,” DiCaprio said in a statement at the time. “I am delighted to be working with Fisker Automotive to promote this shared vision.”
DiCaprio received the Fisker Karma, a luxury electric hybrid with eco-friendly features, such as a reclaimed-wood and “animal-free” interior.
Where things went wrong for Fisker Automotive
Fisker Automotive, unfortunately, had a few setbacks, some of which were unintentional. According to Wired, Henrik Fisker, the Danish designer behind the brand, set out to create the luxury electric vehicle and planted his company in Irvine, California. The economy took a downturn in 2008 for the automotive industry and took the wind out of Fisker’s sails.
Having once been on the cover of Forbes, as “The Next Detroit,” the company began struggling financially. Unfortunately, Fisker had little experience running a production line, and in turn, had outsourcing, headcount, and engineering problems. After missing countless deadlines and facing several issues with his models, Fisker went bankrupt.
But Fisker isn’t entirely done yet. The company is still on a mission to design and develop sustainable vehicles via an e-mobility service.
