He wanted to give billions to a gardener! Shocking scandals of the heir of Hermes

The products of the fashion house Hermes are associated with luxury, success and stability for most people. The Birkin and Kelly brands, owned by the company, have long been symbols of prosperity and high social status. It would seem that the owners of such an empire should live a measured and serene life. For a long time, this was the case. But the last heir to the fashion empire, Nicolas Puech, turned out to be a "black sheep". The story of his gardener and inheritance made a lot of noise around the world. This scandal marked the beginning of a whole series of financial scandals in which the rich man was involved.

In 1837, French entrepreneur Thierry Hermès opened a small workshop in Paris to produce leather goods. Over time, this modest beginning grew into the huge Hermès empire, the market value of which today reaches 230 billion euros (21.4 trillion rubles). The company is currently headed by Nicolas Puech, a representative of the eighth generation of the Hermès family.

It is worth saying that Nicolas Puech can be called the most restless descendant of Thierry Hermès. No, he does not get involved in loud scandals with women and drugs. But his life is filled with endless financial disputes that last for years. At the same time, Puech himself has no shortage of money. He owns 5 percent of the shares of the fashion house, which is equivalent to 13 billion dollars.

The problem is that, having crossed the 80-year mark, the billionaire still has not found family happiness and has not become a father. Because of this, he seriously thought about who would get his fortune after he passed away. Perhaps he was also burdened by the lack of bright emotions in life. In 2023, Puech had an unusual idea: he decided to adopt his gardener and make him the sole heir.

It would seem that what could stop a rich eccentric from implementing his plan? However, the situation turned out to be not so simple. First of all, the gardener is already 51 years old. Although the laws of Switzerland, where Puech now lives, allow the adoption of adults, such cases are extremely rare. In addition, the gardener is from Morocco, he has a wife and two children, which adds complications to the process of transferring the inheritance.

The gardener's name is not being disclosed to avoid any unwanted publicity surrounding his modest person. Could a simple migrant from Africa ever have imagined that fate would bestow upon him such a gift? As soon as he learned of Puech's intentions, he received the keys to a mansion in Morocco and a villa in the Swiss city of Montreux - and all this long before the official paperwork was completed.

Puech announced his decision to choose an heir in 2023. This statement caused discontent among the Geneva-based Isocrates foundation, which fights disinformation. The fact is that in 2011, the billionaire signed an agreement pledging to transfer his entire fortune to this foundation. Since he cannot legally challenge the agreement with Isocrates, Puech decided to take a roundabout route through adoption. At the moment, the gardener's rights to the Hermes billions remain uncertain.

While everyone was hotly discussing Nicolas Puech's inheritance, he created a new scandal. This time, the billionaire accused his financial manager Eric Freymond of fraud. The owner of the Hermes empire handed over the management of all accounts to Freymond back in 1998. But a quarter of a century later, he came to his senses and stated that all this time he had not known how his trusted person had managed the money and shares.

A Geneva court acquitted Eric Freymond, finding no evidence of the "massive fraud" that Puech had alleged. The judges noted that even if the company had suffered losses, there was no malicious intent in Freymond's actions. Puech himself had shown excessive trust, and he could have removed the financier from his job at any time.

The scandal over the alleged “fraud” had barely died down when the restless tycoon found himself at the center of a new conflict. This time, he had promised to hand over his stake in Hermes to the King of Qatar. Puech assured that the shares would go to the new owner, but time passed and the promise remained unfulfilled. In the end, the billionaire declared that it was simply impossible to fulfill the agreement.

The Qatari company Honor America Capital, acting on behalf of the royal family, has filed a lawsuit. Nicolas Puech is accused of breaking the agreements on the sale of shares. The lawsuit seeks compensation of $1.3 billion US dollars from him - this amount is sought to compensate for "lost profits, additional expenses and damage to reputation."

The contract and letters attached to the complaint show that the deal was discussed for several months. It was formally concluded and registered. A representative of Honor America Capital wrote to Nicolas Puech's lawyer in Switzerland to confirm that they had secured a full financing commitment from His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, to close the deal.

Puech, who had been silent for several months, suddenly announced that he could not find the shares. According to him, this automatically made the deal impossible. However, the buyer was not at all convinced by this explanation. Most likely, the heir of Hermes found himself in a really serious situation this time. However, it is possible that he will soon overshadow this scandal with another one, as has happened more than once.

The story of Nicolas Puech is not just a family drama, but a real series at the intersection of fashion, billions and unexpected decisions. The adoption of an adult gardener, a battle with a financial manager, scandals with international deals - all this makes him a figure far from the typical image of the heir to a luxurious empire. And what do you think, does a person have the right to manage his fortune as he pleases - even if it seems strange and causes controversy?