Nicolas Puech, the Hermès heir, faced a hurdle in his inheritance plan as a Swiss court rejected his claims that his wealth advisor mishandled his Hermès shares, valued at around $13 billion, leaving him with nothing, as reported by Bloomberg. Puech, who once owned 6 million shares, the largest investor in Hermès International SCA history, no longer possesses these assets. The court ruled against Puech, mentioning his "blind trust" in Freymond and his choice to allow the advisor access to his finances, including his bank accounts. The court questioned why Puech did not show interest in monitoring the evolution of his assets.

Puech canceled his mandates with Freymond in October 2022 and, a year later, filed three different lawsuits against his former wealth manager, according to Bloomberg. The first case alleged that Freymond withheld information and wouldn’t return his Hermès shares. The other two had to with overseeing Puech’s charity, loans, and other investments. 

The Hermès dynasty, one of Europe's wealthiest families, boasts a combined net worth of approximately $155 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This French luxury brand, renowned for its iconic Kelly and Birkin handbags, traces its roots back to 1837. Puech's rift with his family stemmed from his alleged involvement in how LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault acquired a stake in Hermès, as per Bloomberg. In 2014, Puech departed from the Hermès supervisory board, taking his 5.7 percent stake with him, citing familial pressures and disputes, not limited to the LVMH matter. Following the recent court ruling on July 12, the location of Puech's missing shares remains a mystery, leaving many wondering, including a certain gardener eagerly awaiting their reappearance.