Heir to Hermès luxury brand wants to adopt his gardener, leave him billions
An 80-year-old billionaire with shares in French luxury brand Hermès is reportedly taking steps to adopt his middle-aged gardener and bequeath him at least half of his $13 billion fortune.
Billionaire Plans to Adopt Gardener and Leave Him Billions
Nicolas Puech, an 80-year-old billionaire and descendant of Hermès founder Thierry Hermès, is making headlines for his intentions to adopt his middle-aged gardener and leave him a significant portion of his $13 billion fortune. This move comes despite an existing contract that designates Puech's fortune to go to the Isocrates Foundation, an organization he founded in 2011.
According to Bloomberg's annual rankings, Puech is a member of the world's third-wealthiest family. While he currently possesses approximately 5.7% of Hermès, a luxury brand valued at nearly $230.8 billion, his shares are expected to go to the Isocrates Foundation. However, the contract does provide an exception if Puech were to have a son, in which case the child would be entitled to at least 50% of the inheritance.
The Isocrates Foundation's Stance
The Isocrates Foundation, which focuses on supporting public interest journalism and organizations promoting a 'healthy digital public space,' has expressed opposition to the cancellation of the inheritance contract. While they did not comment on Puech's desire to adopt his gardener, they argued that from a legal standpoint, unilaterally canceling an inheritance contract is baseless and invalid. The organization has stated that they are open to discussions with their founder.
Puech's lawyer, Jörn-Albert Bostelmann, has not provided specific details about the current situation but hinted at a potential press conference to clarify the facts and address inaccuracies in media reporting.
