Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary German fashion designer, lived a life surrounded by extraordinary luxury and artistic elegance. As the creative force behind both Chanel and Fendi, he owned lavish apartments in Paris, Rome, and the French Riviera, along with villas in Biarritz and his hometown of Hamburg. His world was filled with priceless Art Deco furniture, antique jewelry, couture collections, and an immense personal library that reportedly contained around 300,000 books. He also collected works by renowned artists such as Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, and John Baldessari, while indulging in luxuries that included multiple Rolls-Royces, hundreds of pairs of his signature sunglasses and fingerless gloves, and even a collection of more than 500 iPods. According to reports, his yearly flower budget alone may have reached 1.5 million euros.
Lagerfeld never married and had no children. After his death from cancer in 2019, widespread speculation emerged regarding the fate of his fortune, which media outlets like Bloomberg, Forbes, and The Guardian estimated to be worth well over $200 million. Yet, despite years of rumors, the exact details of his will and estate remain unknown, as French law keeps such matters private.
Over time, many people close to Lagerfeld were rumored to be beneficiaries of his wealth, including male models, fashion executives, members of his staff, and even Monaco’s royal circle. However, one name captured more public fascination than any other: Choupette, his beloved blue-cream Birman cat.
In the years leading up to his death, Lagerfeld openly expressed an unusually deep affection for Choupette, often describing her as the center of his life. He once admitted, “I never imagined I could love an animal this much,” and compared her elegance to that of Greta Garbo. Choupette reportedly dined beside him at the table using her own dishes and was treated less like a pet and more like royalty. Lagerfeld frequently referred to her as his greatest love, even joking that if marriage between humans and animals were possible, he would have considered it.