According to reports, the 80-year-old heir to the Hermès fortune, Nicolas Puech, intends to disperse his fortune in an unusual way.
As reported by the New York Post, Puech intends to choose his 51-year-old "former gardener and handyman" as his heir, according to the Swiss magazine Tribune de Genève. Puech, who is single and has no children of his own, is eligible to inherit a substantial portion of the Hermès estate, which is now estimated to be worth over $220 billion.
According to sources, Puech owns between 5% and 6% of the property, putting his net worth between $10 billion and $11 billion. According to the Swiss publication, he may be giving his former gardener half of his inheritance. It is said that he is currently reorganizing his beneficiaries in his estate and may transfer the remaining funds to other entities.
Tribune de Genève reports that Puech has already started the legal process to name the man as his heir. According to reports, the anonymous man is of Moroccan ancestry, married to a Spanish woman, and has his own family. In addition, he is eligible to receive $5.9 million in real estate from Puech in Montreux, Switzerland, and Marrakesh, Morocco.
Puech is the fifth generation heir to Thierry Hermès, who established the Paris-based fashion brand in 1837 and is best renowned for his Birkin handbags. When LVMH bought 23% of Hermès in 2014, he departed the supervisory board on less than favorable conditions, according to Fortune.
A representative for Puech stated at the time, Fashion Network reported via AFP, "He resigned because he has felt for several years beleaguered by members of his family, who have attacked him on several fronts, not only regarding LVMH."
"He is very attached to Hermès, but he has had some very bad experiences, felt very bad, and felt harshly criticized on numerous occasions."
PEOPLE.COM is the source.