's wealthiest stars are sending  'begging' letters for cash to fund ...

Super wealthy Hollywood stars have sent out 'begging' letters asking for cash to fund a controversial new Oscar museum - which is $77.6million over budget, a DailyMailTV investigation can reveal.

And the shameless pleas for donations - signed by A-list actors including Tom Hanks, Salma Hayek and Annette Bening - have sparked anger among industry insiders who see the letters as a 'blatant' ruse to raise funds for the struggling project.

One disgruntled recipient told DailyMailTVthat the move was 'insulting' to young up and coming Hollywood artists who are getting 'begging letters from millionaires'.

The row has erupted as construction of the long-delayed Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Hollywood continues at a snail's pace, with renewed plans to open later this year.

The letters - marked Exclusive Invitation - urge recipients to donate a minimum of $100 to become a Charter Member of the museum, which offers various perks.

Or they can fork out $5,000 to become a museum ambassador and up to $10,000 to become a benefactor.

Hundreds of these letters have been sent out in the past few years ever since construction work on the ultra modern museum fell well behind schedule and its planned 2016 opening was cancelled.

Salma Hayek is among the Hollywood stars who have signed letters asking for money to fund the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles

Salma Hayek is among the Hollywood stars who have signed letters asking for money to fund the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles 

DailyMailTV obtained this letter signed by Salma Hayek asking recipients to donate a minimum of $100 to become a Charter Member of the museum

 DailyMailTV obtained this letter signed by Salma Hayek asking recipients to donate a minimum of $100 to become a Charter Member of the museum

This is the new Oscar museum, still under construction, that is being built with a goal of $338million in Los Angeles

This is the new Oscar museum, still under construction, that is being built with a goal of $338million in Los Angeles

The ambitious construction project has suffered repeated delays and setbacks and is understood to be swamped in significant debt.

But when contacted by DailyMailTV, a spokesperson for Academy Museum insisted their finances were very much in order.

Any funds generated by the membership drive, they said, are earmarked for 'ongoing operations' NOT construction work.

The construction work, the spokesperson says, is actually funded by an ongoing capital campaign, which also encompasses exhibition build-out, pre-opening operating funds, and endowment.

Even so, the 'begging' letters are being mailed out despite the Academy itself admitting its non-profit organization has total assets of over a billion dollars.

Publicly available figures show that returns from the Academy Awards alone totaled $131,774,000 in 2018, up more than 7% from $122,887,500 in 2017 - with a cool profit of around $90m.

Yes the Academy is plowing a significant amount of its own money into the movie museum, but the pleas for cash signed off by Hollywood megastars still rankles with many.

One of the two page letters obtained by DailyMailTV is signed by actress Salma Hayek.

Best known for her Oscar nominated performance in Frida, the star begins by describing how, 'Frida Kahlo was a bold and extraordinary artist. Her courageous life gave me the strength to pursue my own creative career. I had to tell her story - and I wouldn't rest until Frida came to life.'

She then moves onto museum business, adding: 'We rarely understand all that goes into making a movie. That's why I want to share with you an incredible and important project coming to life in the heart of Los Angeles – the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.'

Hayek, 52, then spells out how people can become a Charter Member, adding: 'You will be part of a museum unlike any other, and a lasting legacy for future generations. You will help show the world how movies are made and inspire visitors who walk through the doors to tell their story.

'And, of course, you will enjoy many benefits, including special opportunities to visit the museum and explore its iconic collection – including a personal favorite dress from Frida – before it opens.'

Director of the Oscar museum Kerry Brougher sent this letter detailing the perks that a Charter Member would receive for a donation of at least $100

Director of the Oscar museum Kerry Brougher sent this letter detailing the perks that a Charter Member would receive for a donation of at least $100

This outlines the monetary costs to become a Charter Member for the museum. The lowest price is $100 with a donation of $10,000 to become a benefactor

This outlines the monetary costs to become a Charter Member for the museum. The lowest price is $100 with a donation of $10,000 to become a benefactor

Tom Hanks and Annette Bening are listed as Co-Chairs of the campaign on the letters that have been sent to businesses, actors and writers

Tom Hanks and Annette Bening are listed as Co-Chairs of the campaign on the letters that have been sent to businesses, actors and writers

Tom Hanks and Annette Bening, wife of Warren Beatty,  are listed as Co-Chairs of the campaign on the letters that have been sent to businesses, actors and writers

Academy Museum Director Kerry Brougher weighs in on how he has 'had the great fortune to help make a 90-year-old dream become a reality.'

Brougher adds: 'More than a portal into film's past, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will inspire generations of future filmmakers through dynamic exhibitions, state-of-the art theaters, and an active education program.

'It will be a place for audiences from across the city and around the world to engage with the most important art form of the past century.'

The letters have been sent out across California to a raft of businesses and actors and writers, many of whom have never had any major success.

One struggling artist and non-member of the Academy, who asked not to be named, told DailyMailTV he has received four letters over the past year with the signatures of Tom Hanks, Salma Hayek, and Annette Bening, asking for funds.

The baffled creative, who has featured in a series of small scale TV shows, said: 'It is staggering that so many letters have come in to us. They must be desperate for money.

'Lots of my friends have received these letters from the Academy, even though they have

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