Salma Hayek's husband François-Henri Pinault pledges $339 mn for Notre-Dame reconstruction

The accidental burning of France’s  Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris came as a rude shock to people worldwide. As per reports in BuzzFeed, François-Henri Pinault — chair and CEO of Kering (the luxury goods group which owns Gucci and Saint Laurent) and husband of actress Salma Hayek, has pledged €300 million ($339 million) to aid in the renovation of Notre-Dame.

Pinault’s contribution was later not only matched, but also doubled, on Tuesday morning by Bernard Arnault, chair and CEO of LVMH, the luxury-goods group that heads Moët & Chandon and Dior. A statement later released by Arnault and LVMH said that the billionaire and his entire family would contribute €200 million ($226 million) to the rebuilding of the cathedral.

"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 report added that French president Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday that reconstruction works on the Notre-Dame would begin immediately as it was what “French expect, because this is what our history deserves, because it is our destiny.”

A national fundraiser was launched with the purpose of bolstering the renovation.