© 2026 ABC News

French billionaire Bernard Arnault and his conglomerate LVMH pledged 200 million euros, according to The Associated Press, and François-Henri Pinault, another French billionaire, said he and his family would donate 100 million euros, according to BuzzFeed.

\"PHOTO:
Ian Langsdon/EPA via Shutterstock
PHOTO: A firefighter stands in an aerial lift near the burnt roof after a massive fire destroyed the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 16, 2019.
>

Before the fire, an estimated investment of 150 million euros over three decades likely would've been required for restoration work on the massive church, a group called Friends of Notre Dame told ABC News. Total repair costs following the fire aren't yet known.

Pécresse said she informed the archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, that the government set aside 10 million euros (about $11.3 million) in emergency funds to rebuild the cathedral.

\"PHOTO:
AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: An image taken from a television screen shows an aerial view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral engulfed in flames on April 15, 2019, in the French capital Paris.
>

\"But we'll need hundreds of millions of euros to rebuild, maybe more, because 2,800 square meters of roof has burned and also ... the big tower of the cathedral has burned too, so we really need to rebuild and it's going to be very costly,\" Pécresse said on GMA. \"So seeing all the people of the world telling us that they want to subscribe, it's really moving for us and this support is really amazing.\"

Construction on Notre Dame began in 1163 and lasted over a century. It officially was completed in 1345.

Krupali Krusche, an architecture professor at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, told ABC News it may take five to seven years for the cathedral just to recover from the blaze.

\"PHOTO:
Michel Euler/AP
PHOTO: Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, April 15, 2019.
>

\"The original building took over 100 years to actually come together, piece by piece,\" Krusche said. \"It will be done. But a recent project in Europe of that scale has taken up to 10 years to produce.\"

Although largely famous for its ornate exterior stonework, most of the cathedral's interior was wood, which fed the flames like a \"cooker,\" she added. But even masonry that survived may be terribly damaged after 500 firefighters fought the blaze.

\"We will rebuild because it is what the French people expect because it is what our history deserves,\" Macron said at the news conference. \"Because it is our profound destiny.\"

\"PHOTO:
Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: The steeple of the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral collapses as the cathedral is engulfed in flames in Paris, April 15, 2019.
>

Other developments pertaining to the fire include:

-- 10 a.m. EDT: French Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said investigators identified weaknesses in the cathedral structure that needs securing, \"notably in the vault and the north transept pinion,\" an area of the nave that forms a cross.

-- 11 a.m. EDT: Photos of relics saved from the cathedral were released, including the Crown of Thorns, purportedly worn by Jesus when he was crucified, and the Tunic of Saint Louis, which supposedly belong to King Louis IX.

-- 12 p.m. EDT: The White House released a new statement saying President Donald Trump offered his condolences to Macron on behalf of the American people.

\"The United States stands with French citizens, the city of Paris, and the millions of visitors from around the world who have sought solace in that iconic structure,\" the statement reads. \"The Cathedral has served as a spiritual home for almost a millennium, and we are saddened to witness the damage to this architectural masterpiece. Notre Dame will continue to serve as a symbol of France, including its freedom of religion and democracy. France is the oldest ally of the United States, and we remember with grateful hearts the tolling of Notre Dame’s bells on September 12, 2001, in solemn recognition of the tragic September 11th attacks on American soil. Those bells will sound again. We stand with France today and offer our assistance in the rehabilitation of this irreplaceable symbol of Western civilization. Vive la France!\"

-- 12:05 p.m. EDT: New wire service photos released show the extensive damage inside the main sanctuary of Notre Dame, including charred wooden beams that fell from the ceiling and landed in front of the altar.

\"PHOTO:
AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: An interior view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in the aftermath of a fire that devastated the cathedral, April 16, 2019.
>
\"PHOTO:
Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool via Reuters
PHOTO: A view of the debris inside Notre-Dame de Paris in the aftermath of a fire that devastated the cathedral in Paris, April 16, 2019.
>

-- 12:43 p.m. EDT: Bells at Westminster Abbey in London tolled in support of Notre Dame Cathedral and the people of France.

-- 2 p.m. EDT: In a televised speech to his nation, Macron said he wants the cathedral rebuilt in five years.

ABC News' David Rind and David Wright contributed to this report.

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