See, the one percent isn’t that bad after all.

The Post reports today that local philanthropist and founder of the Carlyle Group David Rubenstein has agreed to split the cost of repairing the Washington Monument with the federal government, kicking in $7.5 million to patch up the iconic obelisk that was damaged in the August 23 earthquake.

Rubenstein’s contribution will help fund repairs to the top of the monument, which cracked during the magnitude 5.8 temblor, and finish repairs on the elevator from the base of the monument to the top, 555 feet above. (Cameras inside the monument caught the earthquake as it happened; the video is here.)

Soon after the earthquake, teams of inspectors rappelled down the side of the monument to look for damage; one crack near the top was found to be four feet long and an inch wide. (According to Pat Robertson, the crack was obviously a sign from God.) In November, some of the cracks were filled with sealant to weatherize the monument for the winter.

Various public schools, the Embassy of Ecuador and the National Cathedral were similarly damaged during the earthquake. Repairs to the National Cathedral are expected to cost over $20 million, and in October Mayor Vince Gray requested federal funds for the fixes.

This won’t be Rubenstein’s first gift to a Washington symbol. In December, he gave $4.5 million to the National Zoo to fund further panda research, and a few months prior he gave $13.5 million to the National Archives. In October he also gave $10 million to “establish an education and research institute focused on White House history.”

There’s no date yet for a reopening of the popular tourist destination.