PARIS — Actress Salma Hayek's husband and billionaire father-in-law have pledged a massive donation to rebuilding efforts after a fire ravaged Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday.
According to The Associated Press, Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering and president of Artemis, and his father, 82-year-old Francois Pinault, promised to donate 100 million euros – or about $113 million.
The Pinault family has an estimated net worth of $35 billion, Forbes reported.
"My father (François Pinault) and I have decided to release from now on 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," François-Henri Pinault, 56, said in a statement, Le Figaro's William Plummer reported.
"Mon père (François Pinault) et moi même avons décidé de débloquer dès à présent sur les fonds d'Artemis une somme de 100 millions d'euros pour participer à l'effort qui sera nécessaire à la reconstruction complète de Notre Dame", écrit François-Henri Pinault
— William Plummer (@PlummerWilliam) April 15, 2019
"Everyone wants to restore life as quickly as possible to this jewel of our heritage," the statement added, according to the AP.
Hayek, 52, who wed Francois-Henri Pinault in 2009, took to social media Monday as firefighters battled the devastating blaze.
"As many others I'm in deep shock and sadness to witness the beauty of Notre-Dame turn into smoke," she wrote. "I love you Paris."
But the Pinaults weren't the only billionaires who decided to give to the cause. The AP reported that Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, said he and his company will donate 200 million euros – or about $226 million – toward reconstruction.
"In the wake of this national tragedy, the Arnault family and the LVMH Group pledge their support for #NotreDame," the company tweeted. "They will donate a total of 200 million euros to the fund for reconstruction of this architectural work, which is an integral part of the history of France."
"In the wake of this national tragedy, the Arnault family and the LVMH Group pledge their support for #NotreDame. They will donate a total of 200 million euros to the fund for reconstruction of this architectural work, which is an integral part of the history of France." pic.twitter.com/utvJT8xJht
— LVMH (@LVMH) April 16, 2019
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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