- Sunday, December 17, 2023 20:22 (GMT+7)
Billionaire Nicolas Puech is a descendant of Thierry Hermès, who founded the French luxury fashion house in 1837. Mr. Puech is said to want to leave a large part of his fortune to his former gardener, whom he plans to adopt.
Puech owns 5.7% of Hermès, the Tribune de Genève reported. While this is a small stake, it makes him the largest individual shareholder. Forbes estimates Puech's net worth at $11.7 billion, making him the 161st richest person in the world .
The gardener who is expected to inherit from billionaire Puech is a 51-year-old Moroccan, married with two children. The couple are referred to by billionaire Puech as his "adopted children".
Puech gave the couple more than €1.5 million ($1.6 million) in 2015 to buy a villa in Marrakech, Morocco. The gardener couple have also amassed several properties and about 50 agricultural plots in Spain and Portugal, as well as a villa in Montreux, Switzerland, worth more than $4.5 million.
Mr Puech has asked his lawyers to start adoption proceedings and is awaiting a decision from the authorities. If the proceedings are completed, the gardener could inherit at least half of Mr Puech's fortune.
Mr Puech had previously agreed to transfer his money to a foundation he established in 2011 after his death. The foundation, called Isocrates, funds investigative journalism in the public interest and Puech serves as its chairman.
Hermès reported revenue of 11.6 billion euros (about $12.7 billion) and net profit of 3.4 billion euros ($3.7 billion) in 2022.
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