Disney, Apple and Other Companies and Businessmen Who Donated Millions To Restore Notre-Dame Cathedral
Wealthy French families and some world-famous companies have pledged enormous donations to rebuild Paris’s damaged Notre-Dame cathedral after a fire devastated large parts of the cathedral, including its iconic spire.
Nexter.org has made a list of donations which give us hope for the soon rebuilding of the historic cathedral.
What do we need to know about reconstruction?
Source: Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron set an ambitious five-year timeline for the reconstruction of Paris’s famed Notre-Dame Cathedral. But architects and experts disagree about the feasibility of this plan.
“Rebuilding within five years? That’s political speak – just PR,” medieval historian Mickaël Wilmart told FRANCE 24. “The Olympics are in five years. The goal is to restore Paris’s image before then.”
Source: Getty Images
Before construction begins, the stones of the vaulted ceiling and rose windows will need to be evaluated. Thermal shock from the intense heat of the fire followed by cold water could cause the stone to crack or decay. If so, the whole vault may need to be torn down and rebuilt.
Guerrande worked on a 17th-century building that had been devastated by fire – “We needed two years just for initial conservation measures, to monitor and dry the structure.”
Source: Getty Images
Bertrand de Feydeau, vice-president of the Fondation du Patrimoine which protects France’s cultural heritage, told France Info radio the restoration work will have to use new technology to rebuild the roof. He said that France no longer has trees of the size that were harvested from primeval forests in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The French businessman François-Henri Pinault and his wife Salma Hayek
Source: Daniel Deme/WENN.com
The husband of Salma Hayek is pledging $113 million to rebuild the iconic Paris cathedral.
Pinault is the current CEO of Kering, which owns luxury brands, including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga.
The Arnault family
Source: AFP
The Arnault family and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, led by Bernard Arnault, the richest man in France, announced that they would give €200 million.
LVMH is the largest luxury group in the world. Its fashion holdings include Celine, Dior, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. The group also owns drinks brands including Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon and Veuve Clicquot, as well as the landmark Parisian stores Le Bon Marché and La Samaritaine.
L’Oreal
Source: Marlene Awaad | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The French cosmetics company L’Oreal pledged €200 million ($226 million) along with the Bettencourt-Schueller foundation and the Bettencourt Meyers family, which founded both organizations.
Disney
Source: Disney
Disney (DIS) is joining the efforts to help restore Notre Dame. Disney is donating $5 million in aid to help rebuild the 850-year-old cathedral after a fire severely damaged it this week, the company announced Wednesday.
Disney has a connection to Notre Dame. It made an animated film of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” in 1996.
Source: Twitter
A drawing of Disney’s cartoon version of “Hunchback” protagonist Quasimodo embracing Notre Dame went viral on social media following the fire earlier this week.
Apple
Source: Getty Images
On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted that the company will make a donation to restore the cathedral. He didn’t elaborate on how much Apple (AAPL) is planning to donate.
French oil and gas company Total
Source: Getty Images
Patrick Poyanné, CEO of French energy company Total, said his firm would donate €100 million (about $113 million) for reconstruction efforts.
Crowdfunding
Another campaign, on crowdfunding site dartagnans.fr under the title “Notre-Dame de Paris, Je T’aime!” (Notre-Dame de Paris, I love you!) has raised some €54,000 ($61,000).
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