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Over $1 billion has been donated to Notre-Dame’s restoration. Why?
A thought experiment about the relative value of money
The fire that ravaged Notre-Dame on 15 April was a tragedy. Few buildings stand for more than 850 years, and even fewer stand as such an identifiable symbol of a country’s cultural heritage. So when videos and photos proliferated showing the ancient cathedral aflame, the visceral emotional reaction of people all over the world - and of course, in France in particular - is completely understandable. Grief is a proportionate and appropriate response to a tragedy.
However, the fact of the tragedy should not stop us from critically considering what came after. Does the Notre-Dame, as a charitable cause, really deserve the $1 billion (USD) plus in donations it has accumulated?
According to presidential cultural heritage envoy Stéphane Bern, the Notre-Dame received over $950m in 36 hours after the fire. 36 hours - just a day and a half - is not even enough time to ascertain the extent of the flames or damage, let alone how much financial assistance the rebuilding effort would require. What if the damage was covered by insurance? Would the French government commit to financing the rebuild? (It did). Donors were clueless about the answers to all of these important questions in the immediate aftermath…
