The French billionaires who vowed to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to help rebuild the Notre Dame cathedral 'haven’t paid a cent,' according to church officials.
Instead, regular Americans have been emptying their pockets in hopes of resurrecting the Parisian house of worship — with an estimated 90% of donations coming from the US.
'Americans are very generous toward Notre Dame and the monument is very loved in America,' explained Michel Picaud, president of the church’s Friends of Notre Dame charity.
'Six out of our 11 board members are residents in the US,' he told the Associated Press.
Small French donors have also been contributing to the rebuild, while their rich countrymen have remained on the sidelines.
'The big donors haven’t paid,” said senior Notre Dame press official Andre Finot. 'Not a cent.'
Nearly $1 billion had been promised in the wake of the Notre Dame fire, with French billionaires — such as Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, the luxury group behind Gucci, Balenciaga and other world-renowned brands — making massive pledges.
According to Finot, none of the cash has been seen yet.
'They want to know what exactly their money is being spent on and if they agree to it before they hand it over, and not just to pay employees’ salaries,' he told the AP.
The Friends of Notre Dame will be transferring the first private check toward the rebuild — an estimated $4.1 million — after amassing funds from the Americans and its sister Notre Dame Foundation. The French state has also donated money toward the operation.
Officials say the cash with be going toward paying the bills and salaries of the roughly 150 people who’ve been working at Notre Dame since the April 15 blaze nearly destroyed it.
The rebuilding process is expected to take months, but that won’t stop churchgoers from attending mass at the iconic cathedral. The first gathering is slated to take place on Sunday. The mass will be held on the anniversary of the consecration of the Gothic gem’s altar, which is celebrated every year on June 16.