Salma Hayek’s billionaire husband donated €100 million amid 2019 Notre-Dame fire

In April 2019, a fire tore through Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral, destroying its roof and bringing down its famous spire. The damage threatened parts of a landmark whose history stretches back more than 860 years. Among those who stepped forward to help fund its restoration were French billionaire François-Henri Pinault and his father, François Pinault, who pledged €100 million through their family holding company, according to the New York Post. Actor Salma Hayek’s husband Pinault, joined other major donors in supporting the rebuilding effort. More than five years later, Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024, welcoming visitors back to its restored interior.Notre-Dame Cathedral fire in 2019 caused extensive damage to the historic landmarkAccording to Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, the fire broke out on 15 April 2019, sending flames and thick smoke above the Île de la Cité, the historic island in the River Seine where Notre-Dame is located. As emergency crews fought to contain the blaze, part of the cathedral’s roof collapsed and its central spire fell. Images of the burning structure travelled around the world, prompting concern over the survival of one of France’s most recognisabl...