French billionaires who promised nearly $1 billion to rebuild Notre Dame haven’t contributed a single penny to the effort in the two months since they made their headline-grabbing commitments, according to the Associated Press, citing church and business officials.
Instead, American donors have been footing the bills for up to 150 workers employed by the cathedral following the April 15 fire that destroyed its roof. Some $4 million collected via the charitable foundation of the Friends of Notre Dame is being handed transferred to the cathedral in the first payment to date towards the reconstruction.
“The big donors haven’t paid. Not a cent,” said senior Notre Dame press official Andrew Finot. “They want to know what exactly their money is being spent on and if they agree to it before they hand it over, and not just to pay employees’ salaries.”
Almost $1 billion was promised by some of France’s richest and most powerful families and companies, some of whom sought to outbid each other, in the hours and days after the inferno. It prompted criticism that the donations were as much about the vanity of the donors wishing to be immortalized in the edifice’s fabled stones than the preservation of church heritage.
Francois Pinault of Artemis, the parent company of Kering that owns Gucci and Saint Laurent, promised 100 million euros, while Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of French energy company Total, said his firm would match that figure. Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury giant LVMH that owns Louis Vuitton and Dior, pledged 200 million euros, as did the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation of the L’Oreal fortune. –Associated Press
Finot says the donors are holding out to see how the reconstruction plans are coming along and will fight over contracts. – READ MORE