Oscar Host’s Record-Setting Selfie Generates $3-Million Gift

Electronics giant Samsung has donated $1.5-million each to two charities chosen by Ellen DeGeneres to mark the more than 3 million retweets of the Oscar host’s star-packed photo taken at Sunday’s ceremony, NBC’s “Today” show says.

The “selfie,” shot on a smartphone the company provided to Ms. DeGeneres for use during the Oscars, featured her in the audience with Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and other A-list actors and quickly became the most-retweeted image ever. Samsung offered to donate $1 for each retweet, with Ms. DeGeneres selecting St. Jude Children’s Research Center and the Humane Society of the United States as recipients.

The South Korean firm, which integrated its Galaxy phone into the ABC telecast as part of a $20-million sponsorship deal, denied that it had pre-planned the photo as a marketing ploy, reports Agence France Presse. “We were delighted to see Ellen organically incorporate the device into the selfie moment that had everyone talking,” the company said in a statement.