Seven years after the death of Karl Lagerfeld, his cherished Birman cat Choupette has yet to receive a single euro of the fortune that once prompted headlines dubbing her “the world’s richest cat”. Françoise Caçote, the designer’s former housekeeper and now Choupette’s full-time caretaker, told The Atlantic that she has received “absolutely nothing” and has hired expensive lawyers to press the claim. The 14-year-old blue-cream feline lives with Caçote’s family in a Paris apartment, while Caçote works part-time to support her, a stark contrast to the famously pampered existence Lagerfeld had intended.

The delay stems from a protracted dispute over Lagerfeld’s will, compounded by a fundamental legal obstacle: under French law, an animal cannot be a direct heir or own property. German and Swiss media, where the story has resonated strongly, highlight that Lagerfeld’s estate—estimated at €200m to €400m—is in legal limbo, with a reported €150m bequest to Choupette blocked by executors. Blick, a leading Swiss daily, noted that the sum converts to about 137m Swiss francs, underscoring the scale of the deadlock.

Spanish and Italian coverage, by contrast, has focused on the dramatic reversal of fortune. Reports from Madrid and Rome recalled how Choupette was once invited to the Met Gala and featured in luxury fashion campaigns, with early estimates swelling to £150m. The gap between that celebrity status and the current uncertainty has fuelled a narrative of a feline heiress left waiting. The British press, meanwhile, has centred on Caçote’s personal struggle, portraying a devoted guardian navigating a legal labyrinth with no end in sight.

Viewing the case from a cross-border legal perspective, analysts note that it exposes a recurring tension in estate planning for high-net-worth individuals who seek to provide for pets in jurisdictions where animals cannot inherit. France’s civil-code approach contrasts with, for example, the United States or England, where pet trusts are legally recognised. Löwenstein, a Berlin-based succession lawyer, observed that the affair could accelerate reform in continental Europe, though for now, Choupette remains an heiress without a purse.