AUTONEWS

Carlos Ghosn's sweet life in Lebanon

Five years ago, Carlos Ghosn starred in an escape worthy of a movie screen: hidden in a box of musical equipment, one of the greatest executives in the history of the automotive industry escaped house arrest in Japan on the eve of his trial after a series of accusations of financial crimes.

Today he lives near Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, and invests in wineries and also teaches courses aimed at the corporate world. The information is from The Wall Street Journal.

Like a true Hollywood script, the story involved unusual characters, such as a former US military man who helped set up the plan, and the escape of Japanese and French authorities, who accuse Ghosn of embezzling millions of dollars while he was at the head of the Nissan and Renault brands.

Born in Brazil, Ghosn, currently 71 years old, lives in Lebanon — a country that does not extradite its citizens. In addition to his Brazilian and Lebanese nationalities, the former CEO also has a French passport.

In an interview with the WSJ, the former CEO denies the accusations and indicates that he was the target of a plot by Nissan employees while he sought ways to maintain the automaker's alliance with Renault. "I feel good because people consider me a victim," he told the American newspaper. 

According to the report, Ghosn lives in a pink mansion worth US$20 million — which Nissan claims belongs to the company — and sometimes takes a ride on his 36-meter yacht, which the Asian automaker also claims to own. Ghons taught without receiving a salary for almost five years in programs at the University of Espírito Santo in Kaslik, north of Beirut, according to the report in the American newspaper. 

For one of his teaching programs, called “Business Strategies and Performance with Carlos Ghosn,” the former executive invited former partners to participate, such as Dieter Zetsche, from Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz), and Thierry Bolloré, former CEO of Renault and Jaguar Land Rover. 

The program had an initial cost of US$10,000 for Lebanese students and US$20,000 for foreigners, with the proceeds going to the university. There are also more affordable options, such as a three-day program aimed at middle managers. 

When commenting on the current global scenario, Ghosn was optimistic. For him, Donald Trump’s recent tariff policy is an attempt to correct the trade balance between the US and other countries, especially China. However, the movement does not represent the end of globalization, he told the WSJ. 

“To think today that this is the end of globalization is, frankly, a joke.” Before his arrest, he was recognized as one of the most brilliant people in the automotive sector, having put Renault back on the path to growth, in addition to forging an alliance between the French company and the Japanese Nissan in 1999.

In 2018, Ghosn was arrested, accused of concealing earnings and misusing company assets. The Brazilian posted bail and was placed under house arrest in Tokyo, from where he fled the following year to Lebanon.

According to Japanese authorities, the engineer hid inside a box used to transport musical instruments, leaving Osaka airport on a private plane bound for Istanbul, Turkey. From there, he boarded a plane to Beirut, Lebanon.

At least five people helped him escape: the owner of the air taxi company and two pilots, as well as American citizens.

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