Golden Palace Casino Locks a Deal for Bieber's Hair
When Ellen DeGeneres tweeted that she wanted a lock of Justin Bieber's hair for a 53rd birthday present, the comedian didn't dream that the teen pop idol would pay her a surprise visit on her show and hand her some of his newly cut hair as a gift.
"We want you to donate it to whatever charity you want," he told DeGeneres.
Following a week of intense bidding, the auction finally closed on a bid for $40,668, offered by Golden Palace online casino.
This is a record amount paid for a lock of hair, considering that hair belonging to the King, Elvis Presley, sold for $15,000 in 2009.
The proceeds will go to support Ellen's favourite charity, The Gentle Barn Foundation which helps abused animals and at-risk kids.
Golden Palace Casino's history with Ellen DeGeneres actually goes back to 2004, when the group won an auction for a unique Cabbage Patch Doll that was created to look exactly like the talk show host.
All the proceeds from that auction went to the American Red Cross and Noah's Wish to help hurricane victims in the United States.
Golden Palace said that the hair will embark on a tour of its own in a bid to raise even more money for charity.
Over the years, Golden Casino has raised over $1 million for charity by purchasing items that range from the Beckham Ball, to William Shatner's kidney stone and Pope Benedict XVI's used vehicle.