Two French billionaires donate $339 million to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral

One of the richest families in France, Pinault Family, has pledged the amount of 100 million euros to help rebuild the Cathedral of Notre Dame which was engulfed by fire on Monday April 15, 2019.

“My father and I have decided to release immediately 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,” Le Figaro and other French news outlets quoted François-Henri Pinault.

The Pinault family controls luxury-brands including Gucci and Saint Laurent. Younger Mr. Pinault is president of Groupe Artemis, the French holding company that owns Christie’s auction house.

French tycoon Bernard Arnault and his luxury goods group LVMH pledged 200 million euros ($226 million) to help rebuild Notre Dame.

LVMH said in statement on Tuesday that the luxury goods group and the Arnault family would make the donation to a rebuilding fund for the cathedral.

LVMH described the cathedral a “symbol of France, its heritage and its unity.”

These donations come after French President Emmanuel Macron announced a national fundraising campaign.

“We will rebuild,” he said. “We will rebuild Notre Dame because this is what the French expect, because this is what our history deserves, because it is our destiny.”