Hermès heir to leave $11 billion to former employee

Nicolas Puech, the 82-year-old heir to the Hermès fortune is estranged from most of the family, and is unmarried and without children. Puech’s decision stems from a desire to revoke a previous inheritance agreement with the Isocrates Foundation, a charity he established in 2011. This move would see his 51-year-old ex employee, who reportedly worked for him for many years, entitled to half of Puech’s estimated $11 billion net worth.

Adding to the generous deal, Puech’s new legal heir would be set to inherit properties in Marrakesh, Morocco, and Montreux, Switzerland, valued at nearly $6 million. The man, who has not been named, comes from a modest Moroccan family, is married and has a family of his own.

However, legalities might prove a blocker for the unusual father-and-son arrangement, as adult adoptions in Switzerland usually require the person to have known the adoptee since childhood.