Nicolas Puech, the 80-year-old heir to the Hermès fortune, is reportedly planning to distribute his fortune in an unexpected way.
According to Swiss publication Tribune de Genève, cited by the New York Post, Puech reportedly plans to name his “former gardener and handyman,” an unnamed 51-year-old, as his successor. Puech, who is unmarried and has no children of his own, is passing on billions of dollars in the Hermès fortune, currently valued at over $220 billion.
Puech reportedly owns between 5% and 6% of the house, making his net worth between $10 billion and $11 billion, and the Swiss publication reports that he may pass on half of his inheritance to his former gardener. He is reportedly still rearranging his benefactors if they have an estate, and could pass the rest of the money elsewhere.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to the Tribune de Genève, Puech has already started legal proceedings to make the man his successor. The unidentified man is said to be of Moroccan origin, married to a Spanish woman and has his own family. He will also inherit assets from Puech in Marrakesh, Morocco, and Montreux, Switzerland, valued at $5.9 million.
Puech is a fifth-generation heir to Thierry Hermès, who founded the fashion house in Paris in 1837 – which became best known for its Birkin bags. He left the supervisory board in 2014 on not so good terms when LVMH took over 23% of Hermès, according to Fortune.
Kim Kardashian steps out with a super rare Hermès bag worth more than $300,000
“He resigned because he felt besieged for several years by members of his family, who attacked him on several fronts, not least in relation to LVMH,” a spokesman for Puech told Fashion Network at the time reports AFP.
“He had some very bad experiences and felt very bad and was harshly criticized on numerous occasions, even though he is very attached to Hermès.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education