Let me just say that
David M. Rubenstein is the man.
This billionaire philanthropist is giving $7.5 million to pay for the Monument's restoration. Congress is paying the other $7.5M, but was looking for private donors to match the government's contribution.
Mr. Rubenstein has previously given millions of dollars in gifts to the federal government for stuff in the DC area. He just gave $4.5 million to the zoo's panda program. He gave $13 million to the National Archives to pay for a visitor center and a special display area for a copy of the Magna Carta he bought and lent to the Archives. Before that, he lent a copy of the Declaration of Independence to the State Department, a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation to the Oval Office and the first official map of the United States published after the American Revolution to the Library of Congress.
Way to go, rich dude!
The Washington Monument is expected to be closed for at least another year, because they haven't even begun the repairs yet.