If one has a good impression of LP, they could choose to believe that he meant something altruistic with that comment. I believe that LP's motivation for getting involved in this case was, from the very start, to gain fame and to pad his own pockets. What kind of caring person hopes to 'make money' by holding up a dead child's skull for the media cameras? Tim would never do something so totally cold and heartless, no matter how much it might generate in donations. Would the donations actually pour in at the end of a successful search when they were no longer needed to find that particular child, or would the money be made from media appearances, magazine spreads, books, etc.
LP did not say, "Think of the money TES would raise," or "Think of the money we could raise for TES." He said, "Think of the money we could make."
We have no way of knowing what, if any, expenses LP has paid out of his own pocket. He's done so many interviews for so many news agencies, many of which pay for travel, lodging, and expenses if not for the interview itself.
LP's bounty hunter show was canceled. He's run for mayor of Sacramento a number of times and received very few votes. He's shopping for a new reality series. If it costs him a few dollars to reach his personal goals, I'm sure he feels it's money well spent.