And that’s where the story stops. For now.
Edmond’s case is reportedly still ongoing, and could take years given how complex this kind of case is, and given the sums and the extraordinary structures involved.
Nicolas, for his part, lost his case against Freymond this summer.
The shares, supposedly held at a Geneva bank since 2012, cannot be found.
Nobody seems to know how to get them back.
Or even what impact such a disappearance could have on the company.
The wildest theories are on the table.
What if Arnault already owned the shares?
What if Freymond had secured the shares through the foundation, and taken a fat commission?
What if the shares had never disappeared, and this was yet another bluff by Nicolas to get rid of Freymond?
Chances are nothing will leak for years.
Especially since, on top of the legal war, a gigantic media battle is being fought.
Several of the articles published on the subject were based on sources directly linked to one side or the other, without the journalists really being aware of it. A tactic Freymond is apparently trying to copy over the past few weeks, since he has just hired Dynamics Group, a powerful but discreet financial communications firm that has already worked for the Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev in the past.
Enough to fill a few more newsletters.
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