The late German-born Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld Famously exacting, precise and vindictive, his last wishes for the beneficiaries of his vast fortune may now be overturned beyond the grave in a court battle.
Seven years after Lagerfeld’s death from cancer, an unnamed plaintiff has come forward to challenge the haute couture titan’s last will and testament.
The estate’s executor, Christian Boisson, contacted Lagerfeld’s surviving nieces and nephews to let them know they could now inherit his millions if the case is successful, German media reported. The care his beloved cat provided before his death will not be affected.
Lagerfeld, one of the most influential figures in global high fashion for decades, but a troubled man behind dark glasses, has no spouse, children or surviving siblings. When he died in 2019 Age 85.
His will, dated 29 April 2016, closed to the children of his deceased siblings, leaving his accumulated wealth and property worth around €200 million to trustees.
Among them are believed to be his assistant and bodyguard Sebastien Zondou, teenage godson Hudson Kroenig and models Brad Kroenig and Baptiste Giabiconi. Giabiconi described himself as “the top” of Lagerfeld’s heirs, and the designer once tried unsuccessfully to adopt him as a son.
The heirs of Lagerfeld’s late sisters Christiane Johnson, who died in 2015, and Thea von der Schulenberg, who married into the aristocratic Schulenberg clan and died in 1997, received letters from the executive, German magazine Bunte reported.
“The interpretation of the will is being contested,” writes Boisson, according to Bunte. “At present, the rights of the heirs are uncertain.”
Lagerfeld lived in Paris and died on its outskirts, but he maintained what he called his primary residence in Monaco, meaning that French and Monegasque law, generally naming their relatives as the rightful heirs, applies.
However, the plaintiff would have to argue that Lagerfeld, who was born in Hamburg in 1933, was not of sound mind when he signed the will.
German media were quick to note that Lagerfeld’s fluffy 14-year-old pet cat Choupette, acquired from Giabiconi, could easily relax into his life of luxury.
While he was alive, the designer bequeathed a house and garden in France, as well as a brimming bank account to his housekeeper François Cacot to care for the beloved sapphire-eyed white Birman after his death.
Since the gift was made long before his death, it was deemed impervious to any legal challenge to his will.
Choupette’s gilded lifestyle is the stuff of legend – eating from porcelain dishes, sleeping in Chanel clothes and sleeping in Louis Vuitton monogrammed cat carriers.
She owns A verified Instagram account With 278,000 followers and earning income as an advertising mascot for companies such as German luxury car giant Audi. When Lagerfeld died, speculation ran rampant that she was listed as a beneficiary in his will.
Beyond his fortune from couture, Lagerfeld owns several luxury properties, including his sprawling Parisian flat and lavish Biarritz villa, and a substantial stock portfolio as well as art and rare book collections.
Little is known about how and when Lagerfeld fell out with his blood relatives, but they became estranged in the last decades of his life. A 2023 BBC Two documentary He said he had not seen one of his nieces for five decades.
However, another niece, an American, said Lagerfeld was “generous” despite not knowing him well, designing her wedding dress at no charge and flying it on Concorde in time for the ceremony. She told the filmmakers that she expected nothing more from her late uncle: “No need.”
Lagerfeld worked on several collections a year for Chanel, Fendi and his own label until his death. Karl Lagerfeld. When he was alive he said he often confused his will: “One funny look from one and they’re out.”
This is why Lagerfeld’s named beneficiaries are worried that their inheritance will be taken away Not for the first time.
French finance authorities have reportedly demanded up to €40 million in back taxes from his estate, Germany’s Bild newspaper said, on the grounds that his original primary residence is not in Monaco. General tax haven.
Boisson could not immediately be reached but his colleague Frédéric Huerte told Bild: “We are committed to confidentiality. Therefore, I am not allowed to comment on anything related to Karl Lagerfeld’s estate.”
When contacted by Bild, Thea’s daughter Thoma van der Schulenburg also declined to comment.
