If we were to tell you about Nicolas Puech, this might not seem like much to you. However, if we add that his second surname is Hermés, his connections to one of the world’s most exclusive fashion brands begin to be seen.

Nicolas Puech Hermés, heir of HermésNicolas is part of the fifth generation of the family that has lent its surname to fashion pieces worn by international stars such as Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Jennifer Lopez. According to sources CountryThe French company’s turnover in 2023 is over 11 billion and its valuation is over 202 billion dollars.

Nicolas, 81, owns 5.7% of the company. This leaves him as the main private shareholder of this entire fashion empire, which will not only give him a modest life full of luxury, but will also leave a rich fortune to his heirs. This is where the real kicker of this story begins.

Nicolas’ legacy. Nicolas’s fortune is estimated at between 9,500 and 10,600 million euros. According to around $13.9 billion Forbes. However, since he was single and childless, the distribution of his inheritance would be a bit more complicated. Therefore, the Swiss millionaire made a decision: He adopted his gardener and declared him the main heir of his entire estate as his only son.

This sounded good in her mind, but she would soon face the legal issues of adopting a son who was 51 years old and married with children.

Jadil, your trusted gardener.As published WorldJadil started working alongside Nicolas at just over 18 years old, doing gardening and odd jobs on the millionaire’s farm in Aracena (Huelva). The young man of Moroccan origin quickly became the millionaire’s right-hand man, gaining his trust.

On the same Huelva farm, Jadil met his wife Paz, who worked as Nicolas’ secretary. They both have children and have dedicated their lives to helping the millionaire as personal assistants and consultants.

Legal issues arising from adoption. From a legal perspective, adult adoption, although unusual, is perfectly legal in Switzerland, where the millionaire has a permanent residence. However, Swiss law makes the recognition of the adoption conditional on the existence of a bond, since the adopted person is a minor. Something that did not happen in this case, since the millionaire met his “son” when he started working for him.

In any case, if the adopted status is recognized, the legitimate heir will receive at least 50% of Nicolas’s estate.

Disputes with the Hermes clan. Ten years ago, LVMH, led by Bernard Arnault, launched an aggressive campaign to seize control of Hermés, luring the heirs with significant sums of money for their shares. To protect themselves from the challenge of France’s richest man, the Hermés fortified themselves by creating a network that diluted individual ownership of the luxury brand’s shares, eliminating the heirs’ ability to sell their shares of the family business for their own account. Only Nicolas remained outside this consortium.

In return, the heir would donate his entire fortune (and his position at Hermés) to the Isocrates Foundation, which fights against misinformation. The decision to adopt his gardener excluded the foundation from being the primary recipient of Nicolas’s legacy, something the foundation was prepared to allow: “According to the information available to the foundation, this request for a sudden and unilateral conclusion of the succession agreement appears invalid and without basis,” says its secretary general, Nicolas Borsinger.

Nicolas’s lifetime legacyAs reported by the Swiss media Geneva TribuneNicolas’ new heir didn’t have to wait until his stepfather’s death to start enjoying his fortune. Jadil and his family enjoy a €4.14 million villa in Montreux, Switzerland, where the millionaire also lives, as well as a €1.5 million villa in Marrakesh. According to the Swiss newspaper, the millionaire’s new family has also purchased around fifty agricultural properties in Spain and Portugal.

These “gifts” worried the manager of Nicolas’s fortune, who opposed the financial actions towards the couple, which resulted in the dismissal of this manager in September 2022. According to people close to the millionaire, the Swiss media said that “Nicolas Puech is in good health, has reasoning ability, has full mental capacity”, so the decisions he makes, although striking, are legitimate and valid.

On Xataka | The Great Wealth Transfer: From Boomers to Millennials, Who Will Transfer Millions Between Generations

Image | Wikimedia Commons (Moonik), Unsplash (Michael Kahn)