Nicolas Puech, who is the billionaire grandson of Hermes founder Thierry Hermès, is planning to adopt his 51-year-old gardener in a reported plan of succession. Nicolas Puech is worth between 9 billion and 10 billion Swiss francs (between $10.3 billion and $11.4 billion) (close to Rs 84000 crore INR) and is reportedly looking for a legal process that will help him pass on a significant portion of his wealth.
As per a report by the Swiss publication Tribune de Genève, Nicolas Puech who is the fifth-generation heir to Hermes is legally taking steps to make his "former gardener and handyman" from a "modest Moroccan family" his legal child.
This decision is being made as part of an effort by Nicolas Puech to reshape the beneficiaries of his estate. estimated at around 5% or 6% ownership of the $220 billion-valued Hermes.
The name of the gardener is currently unclear but it is reported that he is married to a Spanish woman and has two children. The gardener stands to inherit a substantial percentage of 80-year-old Nicolas Puech's wealth.
So far, Nicolas Puech has already handed over the key to his properties in Marrakesh, Morocco, and Montreux, Switzerland to his gardener. They all are worth €5.5 million ($5.9 million), as per Sky TG24.
Nicolas Puech has had a complicated history with Hermes mainly after he departed from the company's supervisory board in 2014 after a hostile takeover attempt by fashion rival LVMH.
The feud with family members is also being seen as one of the reasons that have affected Nicolas Puech's unconventional choice of heir.
Nicolas Peuch is unmarried and has no children. He is among the richest people in Switzerland.
