French tech billionaire Pierre‑Édouard Sté rin,worth about €1.4 billion, told French senators he wants to bequeath his entire estate to charitable causes rather than to his five offspring. He argued that inherited wealth harms children’s ambition and urged a change to the Napoleonic Code, which currently forces him to leave at least three‑quarters of his fortune to his heirs.

Sté rin's €1.4 billion wish to give all to charity

During a Senate inquiry on Thursday, Sté rin declared that he believes “people should be free to do whatever they want with their patrimony,” and that he intends to donate the whole €1.4 billion to philanthropy. He said his motivation is not self‑interest but a desire to be useful, noting that his “principal talent is making money.” According to the Senate hearing report, his public stance is rooted in a philosophical view that wealth passed down can stifle personal drive.

Napoleonic Code forces three‑quarters share to five children

French inheritance law, dating back to the Napoleonic Code, designates children as reserved heirs . For families with three or more children, the law mandates that at least 75 % of the estate go to them. As a result, Sté rin’s five children would automatically inherit “hundreds of millions of euros” even if they preferred to start with nothing. The legal framework was originally intended to prevent primogeniture and ensure equitable distribution among siblings.

Sté rin's right‑wing funding project Pérclets under Senate scrutiny

Beyond the inheritaance debate, Sté rin finances a right‑wing initiative called Pérclets, which supports liberal‑conservative think tanks,training programmes and civic groups rather than directly funding political parties. Critics argue that this indirect financing may blur the line between public advocacy and illegal campaign‑finance practices. The Senate inquiry also highlighted his hard‑line immigration views, describing himself as “to the Right of the far‑Right” on the issue.

Unanswered: Can France amend forced heirship without constitutional hurdle?

Two specific questions remain: first, whether the French Constitution, which enshrines family solidarity, will allow a revision that lets individuals fully disinherit their children; second, how lawmakers will address the apparent conflict of a tax‑exile resident in Belgium seeking to reshape French law... the Senate has not yet indicated whether it will recommend changes, and legal scholars warn that any amendment could face a lengthy judicial review.