French billionaire Pierre-Edouard Sterin appeared before France's Senate last Thursday and made an argument that most…

Pierre-Édouard Stérin, 52, is a tech businessman who made his riches with the Smartbox gift-voucher empire and has an estimated net worth of €1.4bn (£1.2bn).

French succession rules include forced heirship, whereby children are protected and assets cannot be passed down according to a person’s will.