Hermès heir to adopt 51-year-old gardener to share P611 billion fortune, luxurious properties

In a modern rags-to-riches tale, a billionaire from Switzerland is reportedly planning to adopt his 51-year-old gardener and pass on his wealth to him.

Citing Swiss publication Tribune de Genève, New York Post reported that Nicolas Puech, an 88-year-old billionaire and the heir of renowned fashion house Hermès, intends to legally declare his former gardener and handyman from a "modest Moroccan family" to be his rightful heir.

The gardener will reportedly inherit Puech's $11 billion (P611 billion) fortune, along with properties in Marrakesh, Morocco, and Montreux, Switzerland valued at $5.9 million or more than P327 million.

It is said that Puech has already started legal action, backed by a "formidable" legal team, to formally adopt the gardener.

According to the media outlet, Hermès did not immediately respond to a request for comment, adding that Puech's unusual adoption scheme will have to overcome difficult legal obstacles as adult adoptions are highly uncommon in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, it was in 2014 when a "bitter rift" within the Hermès family surfaced after LVMH, a competing luxury company, purchased a significant portion of Hermès. This forced Puech to resign from the company's board, indicating a rift.

"He resigned because he has felt for several years beleaguered by members of his family, who have attacked him on several fronts, not only regarding LVMH," stated a spokesperson for Puech during that time.

Puech, single and without children, is a fifth-generation descendant of Thierry Hermès, the founder of the luxury brand. He is among the wealthiest in Switzerland, with an estimated net worth of between $10.3 billion (P572 billion) and $11.4 billion (P633 billion).