French president Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire ravaged the historic landmark – and fundraising has already begun.

Bernard Arnault, who owns the LVMH group which owns Louis Vuitton, Moet and Hennessy, is among the billionaires ready to help repair Notre Dame Cathedral after the devastating fire.

The richest man in Europe is one of several billionaires who have pledged to donate millions to help restore devastated Notre Dame Cathedral .

Huge parts of the 850-year-old building in Paris have been destroyed in the blaze, including the iconic spire and roof.

But president Emmanuel Macron said: "I am solemnly telling you tonight: this cathedral will be rebuilt by all of us together" as he described Notre Dame as "our history".

And now Bernard Arnault's family and his LVMH luxury goods group have said he will donate 200 million Euros (£170 million) to restore the iconic cathedral.

He said in a statement: "The Arnault family and the LVMH group would like to show their solidarity at a this time of national tragedy, and are joining up to help rebuild this extraordinary cathedral, which is a symbol of France, of its heritage and of French unity."

He doubled the offer of former business rival François-Henri Pinault who was first to come forward with huge sums of cash.

Mr Arnault, who Forbes says is the richest person in Europe, is CEO of LVMH, whose subsidiaries include Dior, Marc Jacobs, Bulgari, Givenchy Parfums, Moët & Chandon and Mercier. 

The 70-year-old instantly became the biggest benefactor of an appeal launched by Macron.

But he's not the only millionaire who has offered to help with big financial pledges.

And François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of international luxury group Kering, which includes Gucci and Saint Laurent, he and his family will donate 100 million Euros (£86 million) to help repair the historic landmark.

Share This Post