Karl Lagerfeld left millions to his cat, but Choupette is broke

If there is one cat that truly lived a better life than most humans, it is probably Choupette.

The blue-eyed Birman wasn't just the beloved pet of late fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld. She was a celebrity, a model, a Chanel muse, a frequent flyer on private jets and, at one point, one of the most pampered animals on the planet.

So when Lagerfeld died in 2019 and reportedly left Choupette a staggering $1.5 million inheritance, it seemed only fitting that fashion's most spoiled feline would continue living in luxury.

There's just one problem.

She still hasn't received the money.

According to reports, French law does not allow animals to inherit assets directly. As a result, the fortune intended for Choupette remains tied up despite Lagerfeld's wishes.

Today, Choupette lives with Lagerfeld's longtime housekeeper, Françoise Caçote, in Paris. Caçote has said she is doing her best to honour the designer's wishes and care for the cat the way he would have wanted.

That is no small task.

This is, after all, the same cat whom Lagerfeld once joked he would marry if it were legal.

He famously described Choupette as "the center of the world," built collections inspired by her and turned her into a fashion icon in her own right.

And Choupette wasn't merely posing for photos.

Reports claim she earned more than $3 million from modelling work in 2014 alone, putting her earnings in the same conversation as some of the world's highest-paid human models.

Her lifestyle was equally outrageous.

She travelled on private jets, had dedicated caretakers, owned an iPad and dined from custom-made luxury feeding bowls. She mingled with celebrities and even made headlines in 2023 when she appeared on The Kardashians and reportedly responded to Kim Kardashian with hissing and scratching when the reality star wanted to take her to the Met Gala.

In other words, Choupette wasn't living like a cat.

She was living like fashion royalty.

Which is why the inheritance saga feels oddly fitting for a celebrity of her stature. The cat who once enjoyed a lifestyle most people can only dream about is now caught in a legal limbo over a fortune she may never technically inherit.

For now, fashion's most famous feline remains wealthy in reputation, but still waiting for the millions her devoted owner wanted her to have.