From Robert Downey Jr. to Leonardo DiCaprio: Celebrities who endorsed the company that signed a "no-show" deal with Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard has had multiple injury spells since he joined the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2019, and missed out on most of his game time with the team. Quite a few times, it was even suggested that the Clippers should offload him and look for a better replacement, but that never came to be.

And now, a recent report by investigative journalist Pablo Torre about KL's relationship with a fraudulent tree-planting fintech company called Aspiration has unveiled a lot of hidden secrets. According to said report, Leonard signed an endorsement deal for $28 million with the company, but has never publicly promoted Aspiration or their message to fight climate change. Basically, it was a "no-show" deal, signed to pay him an extra $28 million from the Clippers to circumvent the salary cap.

The cherry on top is that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer allegedly funded Aspiration with $50 million, and now this has everyone talking.

But unlike Leonard's deal, many celebrities actually did endorse this company. Let's take a look at them.

1. Robert Downey Jr.

Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr., known for his roles in movies like Iron Man and Avengers, was not only an endorser for the fintech firm Aspiration, but he also invested in it.

Downey supported them because of the company's focus on sustainable finance and environmental impact, which he has been a vocal supporter of for a long time. Unfortunately, that support fell into the wrong hands, as co-founder Joseph Sanberg has pleaded guilty to defrauding investors.

2. Leonardo DiCaprio

Like Robert Downey Jr., actor Leonardo DiCaprio was also very supportive of Aspiration and backed the fintech company to go public via a SPAC back in 2021.

Alongside investing in the company, DiCaprio also joined its board of advisors as part of a funding round. He supported the company's goal of offering ethical banking and fossil-fuel-free investment options. 3. DrakeBack in 2021, rapper Drake became an investor in the eco-finance startup Aspiration, Inc. He also collaborated with the company to reduce his own carbon footprint by using the company's services to achieve carbon neutrality. Unfortunately, all he got in return was being cheated out of his money. After the company filed for bankruptcy in March of 2021, it planned on shedding most of its debt and selling itself to creditors.Also Read: Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard’s name gets dragged in a “no-show” endorsement deal with a fraudulent company