There are no small profits in life, but Valtteri Bottas was surprised to see a printed picture of his bear bum in the wilderness generate €50,000 for charity.
Just days after the Miami Grand Prix, Bottas posted a picture on social media of him laying stark naked in a cool stream in Colorado where the Alfa Romeo driver was enjoying some down time with his better half, professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.
The shot - taken by Cromwell - went viral but also got Bottas thinking.
In collaboration with well-known photographer Paul Ripke, who previously worked with the Finn at Mercedes, the ten-time Grand Prix winner offered to his fans a special one-day deal that would enable them to buy an exclusive print of the cheeky pose.
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Much to Bottas and Ripke's surprise, 5,000 people signed up and ordered the picture, which equated to a cool €50,000 that would be donated to charity.
"I still haven't signed any, maybe in the autograph session tomorrow [Sunday], maybe I'll see some," Bottas said in Barcelona, adding that anyone who got hold of the pic was "very lucky".
"I was seeing some photos of people taking pictures, some have it in their living room or kitchen or bedroom," he said.
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"What is incredible that that's like the power of social media. Like we got €50,000 for charity in 24 hours with a picture of somebody's bum like this.
"It's crazy. I don't quite get it. But, you know, we make good."
Bottas said that there would only be one run of the printed picture, and that he had no intention of slapping his bum on any additional merchandise.
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