The families behind fashion giants LVMH and Kering, two of France’s largest companies, have pledged 300 million euros to help rebuild the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris which with the help of over 400 firefighters was saved from total destruction from a massive blaze starting late afternoon Monday, April 15th.

Kering chief executive Francois-Henri Pinault and his billionaire father, Francois Pinault, said around midnight local time that they would donate €100 million via the family investment vehicle Artemis to help finance repairs to the building. This morning on Twitter, François-Henri Pinault tweeted “Faced with this tragedy, my father and I have decided to contribute to the funds needed to fully rebuild Our Lady of Paris, in order to bring this jewel back to life as soon as possible.”. Kerring is the parent company to such iconic brands as Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and more. The make eyewear under the brand names Gucci, Cartier, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Alaïa, Courrèges, Montblanc, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, McQ, and Puma.

At the same time, Bernard Arnail, the chairman and CEO of LVMH followed with a pledge of €200 million. A statement on the LVMH website this morning stated