Stephen A. Schwarzman, American businessman and philanthropist, generously contributed in 2023 to the restoration of the towers of the Château de Chambord and in 2017 to the recreation of the Château’s formal gardens.
“Chambord is a national treasure, with significant importance to the cultural heritage of France, the French people as well as the international community. I’m proud to provide additional support for this restoration to ensure future generations can enjoy and learn from all that Chambord has to offer.” Stephen A. Schwarzman
Mr. Schwarzman is Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms with $1 trillion in AUM (as of June 30, 2023) and businesses in private equity, real estate, hedge funds, credit, infrastructure and life sciences. In both business and philanthropy, he dedicates himself to tackling big problems with transformative solutions. Mr. Schwarzman’s major gifts include £200 million to help establish a new centre at the University of Oxford to redefine the study of the humanities for the 21st century, $350 million to create a new college at MIT dedicated to the study of artificial intelligence, $150 million to build a first-of-its-kind student centre at Yale, and $100 million to renovate and expand the New York Public Library. He also founded an international fellowship program, Schwarzman Scholars, at Tsinghua University in Beijing to educate future leaders about China. At over $575 million, the program is modelled on the Rhodes Scholarship and is the single largest philanthropic effort in China’s history coming largely from international donors. In addition to Chambord, Mr. Schwarzman is a patron of the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The Republic of France has awarded Mr. Schwarzman both the Légion d’Honneur and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the Commandeur level. Mr. Schwarzman is one of the only Americans to receive both awards recognizing significant contributions to France. He was also awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle, Mexico’s highest honour for foreigners, for his work on behalf of the U.S. in support of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2018. Mr. Schwarzman holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Since 2018, Mr. Timothy Haley has generously supported the Domaine national de Chambord. In particular, he financed the restoration of the Hannetière lodge and the development of the winery. Owner of a nature reserve in the United States, Timothy Haley attaches particular importance to biodiversity, which he considers to be one of the great current challenges facing humanity. To extend his commitment, Mr. Haley dedicated his support to actions to preserve the biodiversity of Chambord, by contributing to the scientific and educational project relating to the study and monitoring of the species of osprey, which nest in the heart of the forest.
“I believe Chambord is involved in a fascinating number of important and critical biodiversity projects that are a model for me on my own ranch. I believe that Chambord should be a model not only for France, but for the whole world.” Timothy Haley
Timothy Haley is a great American landowner. He was Managing Director of several companies specializing in venture capital, such as International Venture Partners and Redpoint Ventures, which he co-founded. He is a member of the board of directors of numerous companies, notably serving on the board of directors of Netflix. He is very involved in protecting the environment and biodiversity. In 2022, Timothy Haley and his wife Ethna McGourty-Haley received the French medal of the Order of Agricultural Merit.
Generali is an independent group with Italian roots and a strong international presence. Founded in 1831, it is one of the world’s leading insurance companies, with operations in over 50 countries.
Given the historical roots of its parent company, Generali France’s sponsorship activities are focused on promoting Italian heritage in France.
The partnership with the Domaine national de Chambord is in line with this policy. Leonardo da Vinci’s imprint makes Chambord a monument whose architecture is influenced by Italy and a symbol of the cultural proximity between the two countries. Generali France has supported the “Utopia at work” exhibition, presented at Chambord in 2019, and the creation of the vegetable garden.
In 2019, the château de Chambord celebrated the half-thousandth anniversary of the start of its construction. As part of this anniversary, EDF created a circadian illumination of the château. The design of this new moving light, similar to the natural lighting of the sun and moon, revealed the beauty of Chambord’s architecture while respecting the wildlife that lives on the estate.
At Chambord, EDF is contributing to the enhancement of an exceptional heritage through its expertise in the fields of light, mobilizing its teams and their know-how.
As a public service company with a strong set of values, EDF is also firmly rooted in its local communities, and is keen to support flagship events such as the 500th anniversary of the château de Chambord, which contribute to the excellent reputation of the estate and, beyond that, of the entire region.
The Paris Aéroport and the Domaine national de Chambord have joined forces to organize an exhibition of photographs by Jean-Michel Turpin (from the book Chambord, five centuries of mystery) to mark the 500th anniversary of the Renaissance. For six weeks in the summer of 2019, travelers at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport were able to admire these pictures.
As a natural extension of its insurance business, AXA is committed to the protection and development of solidarity in France.
To be an insurer is first and foremost to protect: the individual, his property, his business, his savings… To protect is also to preserve and pass on the common heritage. For AXA, preserving our artistic and cultural heritage is more than just a sponsorship initiative.
Since its creation in 1985, AXA has constantly reaffirmed the importance of these actions alongside such symbols of French culture as the Louvre Museum, the French National Archives and the Château de Versailles. The restoration of the grounds of the château de Chambord, thanks to AXA’s support, is part of its Corporate Responsibility approach. In addition to the cultural dimension of this partnership, AXA has also reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of the environment by becoming the first sponsor of the development of the grand perspective in the extension of the French gardens, an area of protected biodiversity, classified Natura 2000 since 2006.
