Eiffel Tower Not for Sale: Public Monument Status

The Eiffel Tower is not for sale and never will be. Three structural barriers prevent any private transaction:

1. Ownership

Owned by the City of Paris (Mairie de Paris) — a public municipal entity. Not a corporation, not a private asset.

2. Legal Classification

Designated Monument Historique (1964) and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Paris, Banks of the Seine" (1991). French heritage law (Code du patrimoine) prohibits alienation of classified monuments.

3. Cultural Symbolism

Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, intended as temporary (20-year permit). Saved by scientific utility (radio telegraphy). Now: symbol of France, Paris, engineering, modernity. Sale would be political suicide for any administration.

Management Structure

SETE (Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel) — public-private company managing operations, maintenance, ticketing, restaurants. City of Paris owns 99%; remaining 1% held by employees. Concession renewed periodically. No equity sale possible.

What *Can* Be Bought

• Tickets (€11.30-€28.30 depending on level/age)
• Restaurant reservations (58 Tour Eiffel, Le Jules Verne)
• Event space rental (salons Gustave Eiffel)
• Licensing for imagery/merchandise
• Lighting sponsorship (special occasions)

The Tower belongs to the French people and, symbolically, to humanity. It's not an asset — it's patrimony.