A billionaire has started the process of adopting his 51-year-old gardener so he can leave him half of his $13 billion fortune when he dies.
80-year-old Nicolas Peuch, the fifth-generation descendant of the founders of French luxury goods company Hermes, wants to make sure that his middle-aged gardener receives half of his inheritance.
The billionaire previously made a contract to leave his fortune to the Isocrates Foundation, which promotes and protects public debate, but now wants his gardener to be his legal heir.
But the organization Peuch founded is now contesting his plan to change the will.
In a statement to CNN, the Isocrates Foundation said: “From a legal point of view, a unilateral cancellation of the contract of inheritance seems void and unfounded.
“The foundation has therefore opposed the cancellation of the contract, while leaving the door open for discussions with its founder.”
Referring to Peuch’s wish to adopt his gardener, the foundation said it was not in a position ‘to judge or comment on this initiative,’ adding that it ‘leaves it to the relevant authorities to decide on this matter.’
According to reports, Peuch owns 5.7 percent of the luxury brand Hermes, After the pandemic, the company was valued at $230.8 billion, making his stake worth around $13 billion.
Bloomberg previously reported that the Hermes family is the third wealthiest in the world, which means Peuch’s gardener could become a billionaire himself if the process becomes a success.
It was in 2011 when Peuch had set up the Isocrates foundation. He had an inheritance contract promising that his Hermes shares would be left to the charity upon his death.
The exception would be if he were to become a father, in which case the child would be entitled to at least 50 percent of the inheritance.
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