LVMH donates €700 million to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris ! Global donations exceed €500 million

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported
 
The world-famous French architectural landmark, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, was ravaged by a massive fire on April 15 local time. The building suffered severe damage from the blaze, but fortunately, its main structure remained intact. French President Emmanuel Macron also pledged that Notre-Dame Cathedral would be rebuilt.

Rebuilding Notre-Dame Cathedral will require enormous funding, a variety of rare materials, and decades of work. The total pledged donations from French billionaires and local sources have reached as high as €500 million, approximately NT$18 billion.

French billionaire Bernard Arnault and his group LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) announced they would donate €200 million for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The CEO of the French oil company TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, also stated he would donate €100 million, while the Kering Group donated €100 million to help with the rebuilding efforts.

In terms of materials, a timber company located in central France contacted French news channel BFMTV, informing them that they would source the best quality materials to provide excellent timber for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Another timber company is preparing to supply premium oak beams to help rebuild the cathedral's burnt roof framework.

On Twitter, user Brooke Windsor shared footage taken on the square one hour before the fire broke out at Notre-Dame, capturing a heartwarming smile of a father and daughter, prompting users to try to locate the pair. These were also the last images of the spire before it caught fire, leaving many netizens feeling sorrowful.