Family behind Louis Vuitton pledges 200 million euros to rebuild Notre Dame

The family behind luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton on Tuesday pledged to commit 200 million euros for the reconstruction of Paris’s Notre Dame after the cathedral was damaged in a fire.

“Louis Vuitton is proud to be a part of the LVMH Group, which, along with the Arnault Family, is committed to assisting with the reconstruction of this extraordinary cathedral, symbol of France, its heritage and its unity,” the group said in a statement. “Together they will donate 200 million euros to the fund dedicated to the reconstruction of this architectural work.”

Rebuilding the extraordinary Notre-Dame Cathedral. #LouisVuitton is proud to announce that the Arnault family and the @LVMH Group is donating 200 million euros to assist with the reconstruction of #NotreDameDeParis in the wake of this national tragedy. https://t.co/WJ37MOzVYY pic.twitter.com/ochMfTDnhW

— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) April 16, 2019

The LVMH Group is comprised of 70 luxury houses across the wine, fashion, perfume, cosmetics and jewelry industries. 

The company also offered French authorities all of its teams, including creative, architectural and financial specialists, to help with the reconstruction and fundraising efforts.

French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, who owns the French luxury group Kering that includes fashion brands Gucci and Saint Laurent, pledged 100 million euros for the rebuilding process on Monday.

The donations come after a massive blaze tore through the historic cathedral on Monday, destroying its spire and stained-glass windows.

Police said that Notre Dame’s structure and key religious relics had been saved from “total destruction” after authorities originally believed the fire might destroy the entire building.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which may have been linked to ongoing restoration efforts in the landmark.