JAY-Z and Meek Mill pulled out all the stops this past Saturday (Sept. 30) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They hosted a James Bond-themed gala aimed at raising money for the REFORM Alliance. The event took place at the Ocean Casino Resort and featured a high-stakes blackjack tournament with a $100,000 buy-in, according to Page Six.
Kevin Hart took on the role of emcee for the evening while artists like Quavo and Travis Scott provided live performances. “It was JAY’s idea to make a really small, incredibly exclusive event with the best people in the world,” a source told the outlet.
Among those in attendance were familiar faces like Ne-Yo, Fabolous, Walo, Fat Joe, La La Anthony, Tiffany Haddish, French Montana, Jack Harlow, Lil Durk, and Jadakiss, to name a few.
The star-studded affair reportedly garnered over $24 million. For transportation, Page Six also noted that between 10 and 15 helicopters ferried guests from New York City airports to Atlantic City.
Art played a key role in the fundraising efforts. Tom Brady and Kim Kardashian each placed $2 million bids on works by George Condo, who previously collaborated with Kanye West.
Though high-profile attendees were in abundance, Beyoncé was notably absent. She wrapped up the final day of her “Renaissance World Tour” the following Sunday (Oct. 1).
A press release from the initial event announcement read, “REFORM has already secured the passage of 17 bipartisan bills in 11 states to create a pathway for nearly 700,000 people to move from the system of mass incarceration and mass supervision into work, wellbeing, and stability. The black-tie party transcends beyond the usual fundraising gala concept to bring together the nation’s top leaders outside of REFORM’s board for the first time to raise a goal of $20 million for criminal justice reform.”