Retail mogul François-Henri Pinault and retail king, Bernard Arnault and others have pledged huge sums in donations to help restore the historic Notre Dame Cathedral which was yesterday gutted by fire.
Pinault who is chair and CEO of the international luxury group Kering which includes Gucci and Saint Laurent and Groupe Artemis which owns fine arts auction house, Christie’s has donated 100 million euros
Also, Arnault who us Chair and CEO of goods, LVMH whose brands include Moet & Chandon as well as Dior has agreed to donate a total sum of 200 million euros.
In a statement posted on twitter, Pinault wrote ” I have decided to to release as of now from the funds of Artemis a sum of 100 million euros to participate in the effort that will be necessary for the complete reconstruction of Notre Dame’
On his part, Arnault family wrote ” The Arnault family and the LVMH Group pledge their supporthe for #Notre Dame. Theyou will donate a total of 200 million to the fund for the reconstruction of this architectural work, which is part of the history of France”
Hours after a catastrophic fire tore through the historic structure, collapsing its spire and causing significant damage, French President Emmanuel Macron said late Monday that he planned to launch a national fundraising campaign to rebuild the centuries-old cathedral.
“We will rebuild,” Macron told reporters. “We will rebuild Notre Dame because this is what the French expect, because this is what our history deserves, because it is our destiny”
In addition to the billionaires, Hall of Paris will br contributing 50 million euros while Greater Paris Council has pledged 10 million Euros.
