Shock, disgust, fear, pain and sadness are some of the emotions felt by everyone who saw her image. Our Lady of Paris be wrapped in flames. Like a scene from the work of the same name by Victor Hugo. Holy Monday for Catholics and Our Lady of Paris, the emblematic church of Christianity and one of the most important monuments of world culture, seems surrendered to the fire.
In the sketches that immediately make the rounds of the internet, Kwasimodos with tears in his eyes, closes the Temple in his arms, while a little further Esmeralda cries for destruction. Everyone cries with them. And it is from those times that tears "throw" the borders, the boundaries, the classes between people and the mourning unites them. French and non-Christians, rich and poor alike, one after another in their own way express their grief and support.
And somewhere there, the morning after the fire, the second richest Frenchman turns the spotlight on him, for a moving reason this time and not for some gossip, as we have become accustomed to in recent years. It's Henri Pino, Salma Hayek's husband, who announces that with François's father will give the huge amount of 100 million euros for the reconstruction of the Temple. The French and international media welcome the announcement, while the family later clarified that will not seek tax breaks for the donation, makes their move even more impressive. In addition, it opens a dizzying donation dance by the economically powerful of France, sending the amount to unimaginable heights.
But who is Henry Pino, president and CEO of the Kering Group, which owns brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Puma; And is he on the list of the richest people in the world?
His family history seems almost fictional. This is because of François Pino's father, who is a self-made billionaire who started from scratch. And perhaps the story of Pino the Elder, who is now 82 years old, is a good lesson that with stubbornness and ingenuity you can do it. Even if you were born into a poor family and have accepted social racism.
The self-made son of the timber merchant
François Pino was born in August 1931 in Brittany, France. He is the son of a timber merchant who tries hard to feed his family in difficult times. From an early age, François learns the secrets of small business, while at the same time going to school. He does not like letters. Doing business finds it more exciting.
Perhaps the fact that his classmates at school mocked him for his poor background also played a role in this. So, at the age of 16, he decides to thunder and deal with his father's timber. But François Pino had the business demon inside him and did not seem willing to follow his father's conservative moves.
He goes to Algeria and when he returns he has managed to raise some money, which, among other things, helps him to marry his beloved Louise Gautier, the daughter of a wood supplier. The father-in-law endows her well and together with the money he has raised, he manages to raise the capital to open his own wood trading business, at the age of just 28.
His demon and the right moves gradually increased his fortune and by the 60s he had managed to be financially strong. He and his wife had three children, but divorced when Henri Pino was just four years old. The little one never overcame the divorce of his parents, while he was always close to his father, with whom when he joined the family business, they managed to make it a colossus. And their current fortune, according to Forbes, is estimated at $ 4 billion.
The "king" of French fashion
Little Henry (born May 28, 1962), unlike his father, grew up in the feathers without deprivation. The upbringing of the children after the divorce was undertaken by the father, who made sure that they did not miss anything. Not even the studies in the best schools and universities. In fact, in the matter of studies, Father Pino was upright, having in mind his own dissuasive example that he left school.
Thus, François-Henri Pino the Younger in 1985 after graduating from HEC School Management (having completed his studies in Business Administration) chose to work in various subsidiaries of the group, culminating in taking over the position of president at FNAC in 1997. In fact, a paradoxical agreement anointed him his father's successor. The founder of the French group organized a team of top executives from the business world of his homeland in order to decide after a series of meetings whether his son is able to follow in his footsteps.
The team responded positively and then Pino the Elder made a move that is not common in the business world. He handed over the reins of the parent company to his son, even though he was only 67 years old and healthy. "90% of the founding companies do not usually retire. "He handed over the company to me completely," Pino Jr. had stated at the time.
Today, François-Henri Pino is the President and CEO of the international luxury group Kering (manages top fashion brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Dodo, Bottega Veneta, etc.) and President of the portfolio of Groupe Artémis, which owns Christie's Auction House. The family business is also expanding into the wine industry (Chateau Latour), publishing (Le Point) and football (Stade Rennais FC). In 2000 the group also acquired the iconic Marigny Theater in Paris.
The billionaire "Don Juan"
Bad language says that Henri Pino, although not at all charming, has managed, with the charm of his financial strength, to have some of the most beautiful women by his side.
His first wife was Dorothea Leper, whom he married in 1996 and divorced in 2004, with two children, François and Matilda. Their separation was velvety and he maintains excellent relations with his children. In fact, at his wedding to Salma Hayek, they held flowers during the ceremony.
Although he moves in the field of fashion, he is a billionaire, with strong acquaintances (the former President of France, Jean-Jacques Chirac is a family friend) and constantly under the bright light of fashion, François-Henri Pino does not like the spotlight at all . And every time it feels like a fish out of water.
And that the man who does not want publicity, for several years had the spotlight on him, occupying the news with his personal life and not for some business achievement.
The stormy relationship with Linda Evangelista and the illegitimate child
Really, what man would not want her Linda Evangelista at his side? And speaking of which, who would not want her to be the mother of his children? Pino, however, did not belong to this category. And they may have had a great passion with the famous model that erupted in September 2005, but when she announced to him in January 2006 that she was pregnant, she did not want to become a father again. Besides, the divorce with his first wife was still fresh. The couple divorced episodically, while their son Augustine was born in August.
Since then, a fierce feud broke out between them, which had to do with the identification of the child, as Pino claimed that he had asked her to have an abortion and she decided to keep their son alone. Their once great love ends up in the courtrooms, where the model is asking for a $ 46-a-month diet, for the child's expenses. He considers the amount excessive, with a portion of the press mocking his attitude, saying that it is funny for a billionaire to find such an amount large for his own child.
Eventually, the two sides found them in court. In that period, the great revelation about the identity of the father of the child took place, since until then the Evangelist did not admit who he was. There were rumors about Pinot, but she insisted he was a New York architect.
The love with the Mexican Salma Hayek
Shortly after his breakup with Linda Evangelista, Henri Pino met at an event Salma Hayek. The stunning Mexican actress catches his attention and the two of them soon become a couple. Hayek was then 40 years old and came from a failed engagement with the also famous actor Edward Norton and a short relationship with Colin Farrell.
Hayek, due to her age and some gynecological problems, had begun to lose hope that she would become a mother. And a few months later, she learns that she is pregnant. This time, Pino did not think it was too early, instead he was excited to become a father again. In 2007 their daughter Valentina was born, while in 2009 the couple got married twice. The first was a romantic Valentine's Day ceremony and the second was a grand one, costing just over $ 4 million.
Their marriage was commented on in various ways and there were many who hinted that the extravagant Hayek married the unattractive Pinot for his money. In fact, she had recently erupted against all those who question her love for her 56-year-old husband, but also against those who can not "digest" how a Mexican managed to become the wife of the second richest Frenchman.
After all, as she had stated in the past, she still works and is financially independent. In fact, she had then revealed that her husband was the one who had persuaded her not to leave her job when she became a mother and that she should have her own separate account and not be dependent on anyone.