Karl Lagerfeld? Foto @choupette
This could completely change the fate of his fortune, estimated at around 200 million euros.
The document was drawn up back in 2016 and then became a real sensation: Lagerfeld left nothing to his blood relatives, transferring almost the entire fortune to the people he called his “real family”, writes the portal mixnews.
Among the heirs are his long-term assistant Sebastian Jondeau, godson Hudson Koenig (he was only 11 years old at the time of the designer’s death), as well as models Brad Koenig and Batiste Giabiconi.
A separate and carefully written item in the will was the fashion designer’s favorite cat – Choupette. For her Lagerfeld provided about $1.5 million, a house with a garden and lifetime care of the former housekeeper Françoise Kakot. All the conditions of her life were thought out in advance, so the current legal dispute does not affect the fate of Choupette.
The legal conflict concerns the rest of the inheritance. According to British media, the will is challenged by some unknown applicant, which automatically opened the possibility of revising the document. If the court declares it invalid under French inheritance law, the property will be distributed among the closest relatives of the fashion designer.
Karl Lagerfeld had no children, and both of his sisters died before him. Potential heirs in this case are nephews and nieces, including those living in the United States. It is known that the designer did not maintain close relations with them for decades: the last meeting with his sister took place back in 1974, and his relatives were not even invited to the Met Gala 2023, dedicated to his creative legacy.
An additional threat to Lagerfeld’s fortune is a tax investigation. Authorities are investigating where he actually resided – in Paris or Monaco. If it is proven that his primary residence was France, the amount of possible additional tax charges could be between 20 and 40 million euros.
