Brands donate millions to help rebuild Notre Dame

A handful of brands so far have pledged to support the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was partially destroyed in a fire that began Monday evening and lasted through Tuesday morning. French president Emmanuel Macron, reports CBS, "vowed to rebuild the landmark ... and said he wanted it done within five years."

Apple, Louis Vuitton and L'Oréal are among the companies to step forward. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted Tuesday that the company would be donating an unspecified amount of money for the rebuild.

The L’Oréal Group and the Bettencourt Meyers family—descendants of the founder of L’Oréal—pledged approximately $113 million to the restoration efforts. (Forbes named Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the granddaughter of L'Oreal's founder and a member of its board, the richest woman in the world.) 

The Arnault family, including LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault, and the LVMH Group, which owns brands including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, says it's donating approximately $226 million. 

The Pinault family, which controls luxury conglomerate Kering—owner of brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent—has pledged approximately $113 million in funds through the family’s investment arm, Artémis.

 

 

Crypto4All, a blockchain engineering and consulting company, made a call for donations via Twitter.

And Air France and Air France-KLM expressed their condolences. CNBC reports that the company has set up a  voluntary donation fund and that "the company will provide free transport for all official partners involved in reconstructing the famed cathedral."