He really is out of this world: Leonardo DiCaprio will fly into space with one lucky fan who bid £1.2 million at Cannes amfAR gala

By Kimberley Dadds

PUBLISHED: 08:08 EST, 24 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:00 EST, 24 May 2013

A trip into space with Leonardo DiCaprio has sold for just over one million pounds.

A seat beside The Great Gatsby actor on Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flight attracted the huge bid at amfAR's annual gala and auction at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Seats on similar flights – which Richard hopes will begin to launch from New Mexico by the end of 2013 – usually sell for £132,406 although a pair of tickets on Leonardo's shuttle sold for £1.19 million at the auction.

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Out of this world: Leonardo DiCaprio will fly into space with one lucky fan who bid £1.2 million during the Cannes amfAR gala on Thursday night

Host Sharon Stone said the winner would spend three days in training with DiCaprio in Mexico before blast-off.

She added: 'You don't get to go to outer space every day with a handsome movie star,' knowingly referencing her appearance in Mars alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1990's Total Recall.

The auction brochure for the gala held at the five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France said Leo and the winning bidder will be among the first 1,000 people to leave the planet on the Virgin Galactic flight.

Celebrating: The movie star, who is in Cannes promoting The Great Gatsby, grinned when he heard how much it had raised

After winning, Monaco based Russian estate agent Vasily Klyukin, 37, said: 'I want to be a bit daring. I will have to give up smoking now for sure!'

A bumper lot containing two tickets to the premiere and afterparty of Leonardo's Wolf on Wall Street and an Oscar package including accommodation at the Beverly Hills Hotel, a Chopard watch, tickets to the Weinstein, Sir Elton John's and Vanity Fair's parties sold for £1.5 million, according to E! News.

Leonardo, 38, is currently partying in Cannes as he continues to promote his latest movie.

Game face: Sharon looked determined to attract lots of money from her high-rolling colleagues

Mistress of ceremonies: Sharon takes vigorous control of the auction

With an apt rendition of Gold-finger, singing legend Shirley Bassey roused celebrity-revelers to dig deep into their pockets at the 20th amfAR gala in the Cap D'Antibes Thursday, helping to raise an estimated $25 million for AIDS research.

The British-born singer was one of several performers including Duran Duran who sang at the gold-themed auction event nearby the Cannes Film Festival, hosted by actress Sharon Stone, and held at the French Riviera's exclusive Hotel Du Cap over-looking the sea.

The annual amfAR gala has for two decades attracted the film and fashion industries' rich and powerful — and this year was no exception, with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein — perhaps the Hollywood equivalent of the Midas touch — Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessica Chastain, Janet Jackson, Milla Jovovich and Goldie Hawn sitting side by side.

Space trip with DiCaprio raises 1.2 million euros for charity

What a lucky guy: Sharon bent down and gave a lucky guest a smacker on the lips

Stone, a pushy but charismatic host, is started to earn herself a legendary status presiding over the amfAR event, since the passing of its founder Elizabeth Taylor in 2011.

'I heard that somebody might go into outer space tonight. Maybe a rumor, maybe not,' said Weinstein before the auction.

he was not wrong. Items sold under the hammer did indeed include a trip to space, but also more terrestrial items such as an Andy Warhol lithograph of Taylor, a chance to have a family portrait taken by iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, a week in fashion designer's Donna Karan's Caribbean hide-away and a shimmering 53-carat diamond necklace.

... perhaps it was the sight of Sharon surrounded by beautiful models including Alessandra Ambrosio (far left)

The gala's excess remained just a front to one of the world's biggest fundraisers in the fight against AIDS, a disease that amfAR says still affect some 34 million people worldwide.

'Yes, you can think it's a silly little dinner, you can deride it as full of celebrities dressed up,' said Leibovitz, whose photo of Niagara Falls also sold at auction. 'But that's missing the point. 80 million dollars amfAR has raised since it began. That's the point. It has saved lives.'

Harvey Weinstein took the mike several times to praise the film industry's commitment to AIDS stressing that while two decades ago the illness was a "looming plague," now a cure might well be seen within "our lifetime."

... but she still pretty much stole the show

Reminders of the serious nature of the event didn't manage to stop the fun, however.

For the second time in amfAR's history, the event's penchant for excess translated rather well into a glimmering catwalk show — curated by stylist Carine Roitfeld. It featured some 38 gold and black looks from designers such as Dior, Chanel, Lanvin and Prada worn by models such as Karlie Kloss Karolina Kurkova, Angela Lindvall and Alessandra Ambrosio Models who strutted on a catwalk between dining tables.

The standout dresses were a custom gold embroidered long sleeve gown courtesy of Valentino, and a custom gold pleated mini dress from Givenchy. All the dresses went under the hammer to a single bidder, selling in just a couple of minutes for a staggering $1.56 million.

Heidi hi: Model and reality personality Klum raised a glass to the audience when she took to the stage in her Marchesa gown

Thought celebrities were in a generous mood, news that thieves outsmarted 80 security guards and made off with a necklace that creators say is worth a staggering 2 million euros ($2.6 million) — the second such jewelry heist during this year's Cannes Film Festival — had celebrities clinging more closely onto their jewels.

'Well yeah, I'm going to be watching how much champagne I drink,' said Jovovich, smiling.

'Because you never know somebody might come up and just shwoop, take it off.