Notre Dame’s restoration surplus of nearly $150M will be used for future preservation

Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — More than five years after the devastating fire ravaged Notre Dame, igniting nearly $1 billion in pledged donations within days, restoration chief Philippe Jost says €140 million (around $148 million) still remains from the unprecedented outpouring of funds. The surplus, sourced from both billionaire benefactors and countless small donors, will support vital future preservation work on the 861-year-old cathedral. Jost also confirmed that the billionaire tycoons who pledged vast sums in the aftermath of the blaze have “fully fulfilled their financial commitments.” In the months after the fire, AP revealed that the billionaire donors held back on transferring funds and waited on specific restoration plans and negotiations how their money would be used.