7-12-2023 (PARIS) Nicolas Puech, the fifth-generation descendant of Thierry Hermès, founder of the renowned Hermès luxury fashion brand, has shocked the public by revealing his intention to adopt his gardener and make him the heir to his fortune. The 80-year-old Puech, who retired from the company’s board in 2014 but still holds a 5.7% stake, is estimated to have a fortune between €9.5 and €10.6 billion ($10,223,852,500 to $11,407,137,000).
In a surprising move, Puech, who is single and childless, has reportedly sent a letter to his lawyer to initiate the adoption process, aiming to leave his substantial fortune to his “former gardener and handyman.” The gardener, a 51-year-old man from a modest Moroccan family, is married to a Spanish woman and has two children.
While adoption of adults is uncommon in Switzerland, Puech seems determined to proceed. If successful, the gardener could inherit “at least half” of Puech’s fortune, according to reports. However, complications arise from a succession agreement Puech signed in 2011 with the Isocrates Foundation, based in Geneva. The foundation, which focuses on combating disinformation and promoting public debate, claims Puech had pledged his fortune to them after his death.
In a handwritten note dated February 2023, Puech expressed his intention to make alternative testamentary arrangements, annulling the previous succession agreement. This unexpected change has left the foundation concerned about the sustainability of its “activities for the public good,” describing the situation as a “sudden and unilateral annulment of a succession agreement.”
The gardener, who has remained silent and anonymous amid the media frenzy, could potentially become a multimillionaire, set to collect around €40 million ($43,048,200,000) annually in dividends alone, as reported by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Puech’s unorthodox decision has sparked intrigue and speculation about the outcome of this unusual inheritance saga.
