Doctor Claims to be Rightful Michelin Heir

A man claiming to be a legitimate heir to the Michelin family wants a piece of the family’s fortune, according to the London Telegraph. Jean-Philippe Rouchon, a 42-year-old osteopath from Puy de Dôme in central France, says he is a direct descendant of one of Michelin’s two founding brothers. His father Patrice Michelin, he claims, is the grandson of Andre Michelin, who co-founded the tyre giant with his brother Edouard in 1888.

In papers filed in a French court, Rouchon seeks a part of the family’s one billion euro fortune. He has provided the court with a blood test from 1969, a document proving that his alleged father provided his mother with subsistence for her child, and a letter Patrice Michelin sent his lawyer saying he had “given” Rouchon’s mother, Annick, a “superb baby.”

A lawyer representing the Michelin family declined to comment other than to say: “This is a family matter.” (Tire Review)