It’s Succession meets Knives Out—only this Hollywood-like plot is real.
Nicolas Puech, 80, the estranged Hermès heir, announced a daring plan to adopt his 51-year-old former gardener and handyman to bequeath him his $11 billion fortune. Puech is the grandson of the founding father of the style giant and owns 5.7% of the corporate.
According to the Swiss publication Tribune de Genève, the reclusive Peuch has little contact together with his family. Single and childless, he considers the gardener (whose name has not been released) to be like kin. Not much else is understood publicly concerning the gardener besides that he comes “from a modest Moroccan family” and has a Spanish wife and two children.
Related: ‘Wolf in Cashmere’ Bernard Arnault Has a Cutthroat Repute. In a ‘Succession’-Like Drama, He’s Eyeing His Alternative — and It Might Not Be Family.
Reversal of fortune
Previously, Peuch promised to hand over his money to his foundation. But earlier this yr, he had a change of heart, sending a “handwritten note” to the inspiration expressing his wishes for a latest succession. Shockwaves ensued.
With no direct heirs to his name, the billionaire may get away together with his plan. But not without major legal hurdles. According to Tribune de Genève, adopting an adult child in Switzerland is complicated—add that the adoptee stands to earn billions, and it becomes a high-stakes battle.
Bad blood
This isn’t the primary time Puech has clashed together with his family. In 2014, he left Hermès board of directors after a hostile takeover bid by fashion rival LVMH. But he retained his shares, making him among the many wealthiest individuals in Switzerland. He now lives in a mansion with 66 other inhabitants in La Fouly, according to El Pais.
Hermès, now the third-largest publicly listed company in France value an estimated $200 billion, isn’t any stranger to the highlight. Still, this latest development has taken center stage, evoking questions and curiosity concerning the way forward for this storied empire.