LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: The exterior of a Hermès store photographed on February 18, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images)
It looks like one lucky gardener will soon join the Hermés family tree. A descendant of the luxury brand‘s founder is seeking to adopt his former employee so he can one day inherit his billions.
According to CNN, Nicolas Puech is a fifth-generation descendant with a fortune of about $13 billion. He owns about 5.7% of the luxury handbags and scarves company, as of a public 2015 report. Earlier this year, Bloomberg listed the Hermés family as the world’s “third wealthiest.”
The 80-year-old is making legal moves to cancel a contract that promised his fortune to the Isocrates Foundation. Puech started the foundation in 2011 to support “public interest journalism and media organizations,” per their website.
Now, Puech wants at least half of the money to end up in his former employee’s hands. Outlets overseas have also stated that the gardener also worked as a “servant” and “handyman.” To make his former employee his legal heir, Nicolas is seeking to formally adopt him since he doesn’t have any children of his own.
At this time, the extent of Nicolas’s relationship with the gardener is not defined as anything beyond an employer.
Meanwhile, Nicolas’ foundation doesn’t appear to support his decision to cancel their inheritance contract. They are contesting the request in court.
“From a legal point of view, a unilateral cancellation of the contract of inheritance seems void and unfounded,” the organization told CNN on Dec. 20. “The foundation has therefore opposed the cancellation of the contract while leaving the door open for discussions with its founder.”
Currently, Nicolas funds his foundation and had previously arranged for his Hermés shares to be acquired by it. The only exception was if Puech had become a father to a son — who would’ve received 50% of the inheritance while the foundation got the other half.
No word on how the former employee feels about the Hermés descendant’s generosity. But if everything goes according to Nicolas’ latest request, that gardener can surely put cutting grass in the past!
