It was announced prior to the sale that the full proceeds from the auction would benefit 20 charitable institutions.

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For starters, according to an NFL spokeswoman, teams sometimes keep some of those pink items and auction them off to benefit charities of their own choosing, including Komen.

FORBES: Will the NFL Distance Itself from the Komen Foundation?

Two months before she died, Princess Diana had Christie's auction off 79 of her dresses to benefit charity.

FORBES: Starstruck speculators

Two months before she died, Diana, Princess of Wales, had Christie's auction off 79 of her dresses to benefit charity.

FORBES: Starstruck Speculators

Reporting from the auction, BBC journalist Rahul Tandon spoke of the financial benefit to Pietersen and Flintoff of entering the IPL this year as opposed to last year.

BBC: England players top IPL auction

They all benefit from the myth that pumping money into your house pays off later on the auction block.

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Besides galleries in the U.S., those in Switzerland, the only non-EU European country with a vibrant art market, also stand to benefit, says Anthony Browne, head of the British Art Market Federation, a coalition of dealers and auction houses.

FORBES: Magazine Article