The transfer of his property Henri Beaufort, one of its principal heirs French pharmaceutical industry Ipsen, it opens a new chapter in the history of the group and redefines the power balances formed for decades within the family. His property, valued at around $4 billion, now passes to a charity based in Luxembourg and offshore trust, creating a complex system of governance that will affect the future course of the company.
Henri Beaufort, grandson of the founder of Ipsen, left life last year at age 60 years without leaving offspring. According to Company documents and registrations, procedures for implementing his succession plan began earlier this month, triggering the predictions he had set himself to manage his property and rights after his death.
Until then, he and his sister, 62 years old If Beaufort, they held equal percentages in Paris listed Ipsen, jointly controlling about two thirds of the company's voting rights. Despite the gravity of their position, the two brothers They maintained a timeless low public profile, while little is known about how dividends and rights associated with Henri Beaufort's share will be managed in the future.
The explosive rise in its participation
His participation in Ipsen, which corresponds to around 26% of share capital, is currently valued at EUR 3.4 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, recording increase of approximately 55% within a year.
This significant rise is linked to the impressive stock exchange path of the company. Ipsen, known among others for Dysport, product competing with Box on the market in cosmetic medicine, has benefited from the optimistic forecasts for its sales and the expectations created by the new treatments portfolio it develops.
Improving the company's prospects helped to increase its value family property, making the succession process and the way in which voting rights will be controlled in the future even more crucial.
The role of Alasol Foundation and trust in Curacao
Henri Beaufort's share was occupied through the Luxembourg company Beech Tree has now been transferred for a period of 15 years to Alasol Foundation.
The institution was created by him four years ago as a non-profit organization to support education and vocational training of children and young people from vulnerable social environments.
A few months before his death, Alasol acquired a new structure, converted into an institution with right to receive an annual dividend of EUR 2 million. Despite the size of the assets it manages, the institution remains highly distinct. Not available public websitepersons associated with it through professional registrations or profiles in LinkedIn did not respond to requests for comments.
At the same time, the succession plan provides for operation offshore trust with seat The Curaçao, in the Netherlands Caribbean. According to the available data, the trust retains veto rights on critical corporate issues, which gives it an essential role in the future governance of Ipsen.
The attention of supervisory authorities
The transfer of the share did not go unnoticed by the French Stock AuthorityThe market supervisory authority examined the structure of the project and concluded that the change of ownership does not alter the final control of the company.
Although ownership is transferred to new legal entities, existing mechanisms declared sufficient to maintain continuity in decision making and management of the company.
Both Anne Beaufort and Ipsen themselves avoided being placed Public for Developments.
A story of succession with family conflicts
The decision of the Henri Beaufort assign the management of his property to institutional structures outside close family cycle reminds of similar choices that others have made European billionaires in recent years, seeking to ensure the stability of their operations after their death.
The case is more broadly linked to the phenomenon of large intergenerational wealth transfer located in evolution World. It is estimated that within the next two decades or so assets worth about 83 trillion dollars will change hands, creating new challenges for family business management.
Henri Beaufort himself had a long presence in Ipsen Management Board, although in recent years it has distanced itself from the daily operation of the company. According to the last annual report, he did not participate in the meetings of the Management Board last year. He had devoted himself mainly to sculpture, living in northern Tuscany, near historical marble quarries The Carrara.
From a digestive preparation in a global pharmaceutical group
Ipsen was founded in 1929 by her grandfather Bofort family, starting with the production of a digestive preparation based on rosemaryAlmost a century later, the company has evolved into International Pharmaceutical Group with strong presence in anti-cancer treatments, specialized medicinal products and cosmetic medicine.
Its course, however, has never been completely smooth. In the late 1990s control of the company passed into Albert Beaufort, one of the founder's sons, after disagreements with his brother about the business's development strategy.
When the Albert died in 2000, his own succession plan sparked a new round of conflict. According to reports of the time, he had chosen as successor his son-in-law, Stefan François, wife of Veronique's daughter. This choice caused intense reactions, resulting in Anne and Henri Beaufort finally moving against their brother-in-law and regaining control of the company.
Next day for Ipsen
Anne Beaufort maintains her own percentage in the company through Luxembourgi Highrock Sarl, which controls other important assets. These include wine-growing areas in some of France's most well-known wine-producing areas, such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the Crozes-Hermitage and the area of Aix-en-Provence.
Last year she moved her tax residence from United Kingdom THE Switzerland, following the example of many affluent investors who abandoned the Britain After changes in the status of non-dom The Commission is also aware of the fact that the Commission's proposal for a Directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the permissible sound power level of motor vehicles and their trailers has been adopted. the framework of inheritance taxation.
Ipsen continues to display strong economic performance. In 2025 its sales increased by 8%, reaching 3.7 billion euros, while distributions to shareholders were strengthened by about a third in the last two years, reaching historically high levels.
The future of the company, however, will not depend solely on the Business The path. Equally critical will be shown whether the new control structure designed by Henri Beaufort will work effectively, leaving behind one of the most interesting and unusual succession cases in the modern European business scene.
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