Princes Break Trading World Record As Celebs Raise $12M for Charity

The trading floors were packed with stars, from Julianne Moore to Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, supporting BGC’s Charity Day on September 11th.

The day was light-hearted and full of fun, with the Princes joking and playing about during the trades. Prince Harry chided his brother for spending too much time engaged in ‘baby chat’, with the Duke of Cambridge chatting about Prince George with one trader, saying, “He’s very well thanks. He’s sleeping quite well.”

HRH Prince Harry and HRH Prince William broke the world record for the largest foreign currency trade, closing a foreign exchange deal worth euro $25 billon on the day.

BGC Partners, Inc., a leading global brokerage company servicing the wholesale financial and real estate markets, announced that, together with its affiliate Cantor Fitzgerald, approximately $12 million was raised for charities such as WellChild, Right To Play, SkillForce and I Can at the companies’ annual Charity Day.

Each year, BGC and Cantor Fitzgerald donate 100% of their global revenues on Charity Day to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and charities around the world.

Begun in commemoration of the 658 Cantor employees lost in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, Charity Day has expanded to assist charitable causes worldwide, in concert with the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund. Since its inception Charity Day has raised approximately $101 million globally.

“Charity Day represents our Company’s fundamental commitment to helping others and helps turn the tragic anniversary of September 11 into a positive and uplifting day,” said Howard W. Lutnick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BGC Partners. “We feel privileged to assist so many charities around the world, in addition to supporting victims of Hurricane Sandy and the Oklahoma tornado. I’d like to thank everyone who supports Charity Day for their enthusiasm and generosity of spirit.”

BGC President, Shaun Lynn, said: “We are extremely grateful to our clients and employees for their consistent support of Charity Day today and throughout the years across the firm. I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our many celebrity guests who graciously donated their time today in several of our offices.”

Distinguished guests representing many participating charities joined licensed brokers on the trading floors to conduct transactions with clients in BGC Partners’ offices in London and New York as well as Paris, Hong Kong, São Paulo and Sydney, and other locations, and at Cantor’s New York office.

In London, BGC’s celebrity guests included: HRH Prince Harry and HRH Prince William, actors Sean Bean, Idris Elba and Sheridan Smith, comedian Jennifer Saunders, television personalities David Hasselhoff and Chris Evans, manager of Tottenham Hotspur football club Andre Villas-Boas, rock musician Ronnie Wood, singers and songwriters Rod Stewart and Melanie C, former Formula One racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart, and model Penny Lancaster, among many others.

BGC’s Charity Day in London started in spectacular style when Dougie Lampkin, multiple world champion motorcycle trials rider, rode his motorcycle through the ground floor lobby where BGC is located at One Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, and then through the trading floors, jumping turnstiles and desks on his way.

At BGC’s New York offices, guests included musician Sean "Diddy" Combs, actors Tony Sirico, Bobby Cannavale and Edie Falco, Jenny McCarthy who is co-host of The View, Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton of WFAN 660 AM Radio who broadcast live from BGC, New York Knicks starters Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Metta World Peace and other Knicks players, coach Jason Kidd and Deron Williams from the Brooklyn Nets, New York Rangers alumni Rod Gilbert and Adam Graves, Mark Teixeira from the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson, baseball greats Tommy John and Al Leiter, 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte, ’America’s Got Talent’ host Nick Cannon, supermodels Carol Alt and Lily Aldridge, and many others.

BGC Partners would like to extend its gratitude to Cadillac, its official Charity Day 2013 Automotive Partner.

The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund was created to assist family members of Cantor employees who perished on 9/11. It has broadened its mission to provide aid to victims of terrorism, natural disaster and emergencies, and over time has raised and distributed over $250 million. For more information please visit: http://www.cantorrelief.org/.