French firms pledge millions to rebuild Notre Dame

French companies including L’Oreal and luxury groups LVMH and Kering have pledged millions of euros to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after it was severely damaged in a fire Monday night. Francois-Henri Pinault, whose Artemis holding company owns a controlling stake in Kering, pledged 100 million euros ($113 million), while Bernard Arnault, chair of LVMH, gave 200 million euros. Kering owns labels such as Gucci, Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen, while LVMH’s star brands include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Moet &Chandon champagne. “This tragedy is striking all the French people, and beyond that, all those attached to spiritual values. Faced with this tragedy, everyone wishes to give life back to this jewel of our heritage as soon as possible,” Pinault, chair of Artemis said in a statement. French outdoor advertising group, JCDecaux, pledged 20 million euros to rebuilding efforts while financial services company SocieteGenerale pledged 10 million euros. The IT services group, Capgemini pledged 1 million euros. Air France and Air France-KLM also pledged their support to the rebuilding of Notre Dame. In addition to French companies, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple tweeted on Tuesday morning that the company will be donating to the rebuilding efforts to help restore Notre Dame as well.