Update: The Auction is now closed with the winning bidder donating $330,001 to the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights

Going once, going twice, almost sold! Just two and a half weeks ago, Charitybuzz kicked off a campaign to raise money for the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights by offering the opportunity to have lunch with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the company’s campus in Cupertino. The auction’s goal is set at $100,000 – twice that of the previous year’s auction of coffee for two with Mr. Cook – and the clock is about to run out on this year’s chance to dine with the chief executive.

For perspective, last year’s auction for a similar prize (coffee with Cook) and the same charity far exceeded it’s goal of $50,000 raising an astounding $610,000 for the RFK group by the time it ended. This year’s charity auction for lunch with Tim Cook is an absolute bargain in comparison as the latest bid at the time of writing is sitting at only $180,000 with less than five hours before the closing bell… That could certainly soar higher if a bidding war breaks out during the final hours of the auction, but at first glance it looks like the previous year’s effort to raise money for charity by auctioning a meal with Tim Cook will be much more successful.

Maybe coffee just happens to be more appealing than lunch for those generous enough to donate to charity for the chance to dine with the Apple CEO, or this year’s auction lacked the same novelty appeal as the first auction. At any rate, if you plan on placing a last minute bid then keep an eye on the auction as it’s scheduled to close today at 2 pm EST.

Cook even sweetened the deal by adding an invitation to attend a future Apple event with the executive.

[tweet https://twitter.com/tim_cook/status/465165067483242496]

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