- France’s superrich have pledged to donate millions to help rebuild the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris after a devastating fire.
- The donors include LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, Kering founder François-Henri Pinault, and the Bettencourt Meyers family, which controls L’Oréal.
- Apple CEO Tim Cook said his company will also donate but didn’t give a specific amount.
- At least $728 million has been pledged so far.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
France’s superrich have stepped in and pledged to donate millions to help rebuild Notre-Dame, one of the most recognized sights in Paris, after the centuries-old cathedral was devastated by a fire.
The fire toppled the cathedral’s iconic spire and led to the collapse of the roof, but the two bell towers and much of the shell of the structure were saved.
Read more: Heartbreaking photos show the 800-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris burning to the ground
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the cathedral, and it seems that he’ll have the help of millions of dollars from some of France’s wealthiest citizens.
At least $728 million has so far been pledged to help rebuild the beloved cathedral.
Bernard Arnault, LVMH's chairman and CEO and France's richest person; François-Henri Pinault, Kering's founder; and the Bettencourt Meyers family, which controls L'Oréal, are among the major donors so far. Together, the billionaires behind the three French luxury groups pledged $565 million.
Here are all the people who've pledged donations so far:
- Bernard Arnault, LVMH's chairman and CEO: $226 million
- Bettencourt Meyers family, the owners of L'Oreal: $226 million
- François-Henri Pinault, the owner and founder of Kering luxury group: $113 million
- Patrick Pouyanné, the CEO of the French energy company Total: $113 million
- Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, the CEO of the French investment group Fimalac: $11.3 million
- Martin Bouygues, the CEO of the French telecom company Bouygues, and his brother Olivier Bouygues: $11.3 million
- JCDecaux, a French advertising group: $11.3 million
- Société Générale, a French financial-services company: $11.3 million
- Crédit Agricole, a French bank: $5.6 million
- Tim Cook, Apple's CEO: unknown amount.
The cause of the fire that ravaged the 850-year-old cathedral is still unknown.
