In 2023, Nicolas Puech, the heir to the luxury fashion brand Hermes, pledged to leave a significant portion of his wealth to his former gardener, whom he plans to adopt. However, Puech now asserts that his fortune, valued at around ₹10,000 crore, has mysteriously vanished. The 81-year-old descendant of Hermes founder Thierry Hermes revealed in court that the 6 million Hermès shares he once owned, worth approximately $13 billion, are missing.
Puech has accused his former wealth manager, who had been with him for 20 years, of being involved in the loss of these shares. Despite his allegations, a Swiss court dismissed his claims, citing a lack of evidence and describing the alleged “gigantic fraud” as undetectable to ordinary people. Reports indicate that the missing shares, which were deposited in a Geneva bank in 2012, remain unaccounted for.
A single man without children, Puech had intended to leave half of his fortune to his long-time gardener and handyman, who is currently 51 and hails from Morocco. Despite the setback, Puech retains 5.7% of Hermes’ shares, maintaining his status as the largest individual shareholder. According to Forbes, his net worth is currently estimated at $11.7 billion, ranking him as the 161st-richest person in the world.
