Kering Billionaire Pledges 100 Million Euros to Restore Notre-Dame
French billionaire François-Henri Pinault pledges over 100 million euros through his family firm Artemis to help rebuild the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
A devastating fire causes extensive damage to the 856-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, destroying its roof and main spire before firefighters contain the blaze after eight hours. The emergency crews successfully save the two iconic rectangular towers and precious relics, including the Crown of Thorns, leading French President Emmanuel Macron to announce an international fundraising campaign for the building's renovation.
Billionaire François-Henri Pinault immediately answers this call by pledging more than 100 million euros to completely rebuild the historic structure. He plans to channel this massive contribution through Artemis, his family's investment firm, as he expresses his hope to help church officials fully restore the beloved Parisian landmark.
Beyond his role as the owner of the luxury group Kering, Pinault holds a surprising background in the technology industry. He interned as a software developer at Hewlett Packard, co-founded the Parisian tech company Soft Computing in 1984, and later makes selective startup investments in companies like the online shopping platform Fancy and the smart headphone maker Muzik.