As one of the most talked-about figures, Carlos Ghosn has built a significant fortune. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What Is Carlos Ghosn's Net Worth and Salary?

It was reported in late 2019 that Ghosn had fled Japan and taken refuge in Beirut, Lebanon, via an elaborate escape operation orchestrated by Michael Taylor, a private security contractor and former US Army Special Forces soldier. Carlos reportedly hid in an audio equipment box transported by a fake band made up of ex-military officers. The audio box with Carlos inside was placed on a private jet and flown to Turkey. He reportedly hid in the box until the plane reached Russian airspace, then he quietly got out and sat down in the back of the plane. Once in Turkey, he boarded a new plane which whisked him off to Lebanon.

Shortly after this, Nissan's board voted unanimously to dismiss Ghosn as chairman, while Mitsubishi took similar actions. A little later, in early 2019, Carlos was forced to retire as chairman and CEO of Renault. Although he was granted bail in March of 2019, Ghosn was re-arrested in Tokyo in April on new charges of misusing Nissan funds. He was subsequently released again on bail later in the month, but was confined to house arrest.

Carlos Ghosn Salary and Compensation

In June 2019, Renault uncovered 11 million euros in dubious expenses made by Ghosn, leading to an investigation and raid by the French state. A few months later, Carlos settled with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over claims that he failed to disclose over $140 million paid to him by Nissan. As a consequence, he was fined $1 million and was forbidden from serving as a director or officer of a public company for the next ten years.

On November 19, 2018, Carlos Ghosn was arrested in Tokyo on charges that included false accounting, tax evasion, and using company money for personal expenses. At first, it was alleged that he failed to report $44 million worth of pay and allegedly misused company funds.

Carlos Ghosn is a French-Lebanese-Brazilian businessman who has a net worth of $120 million. Carlos Ghosn has served as the CEO of multiple corporations, including Michelin North America, Renault, and Nissan. For saving the latter two companies from near-bankruptcy, he became renowned as one of the most powerful business leaders in the world. Ghosn's status fell considerably in 2018, when he was arrested on charges of under-reporting his salary and misappropriating company assets; he eventually became a wanted fugitive in 2020 after fleeing Japan.

Ghosn eventually confirmed his escape, stating that he refused to be "held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system." Nevertheless, he remains under investigation in France for suspicious transactions and alleged illegal payments for private events and trips. In 2022, the country issued an international warrant for Ghosn's arrest.

At his peak, Carlos Ghosn's salary per year could reach as much as $17 million. He technically earned three salaries, one from Nissan, one from Renault, and another from Mitsubishi. For example, in 2017, when Carlos earned a total of $17 million, his pay was made up of $6.53 million from Nissan, $8.44 million from Renault, and $2.02 million from Mitsubishi.

Carlos brought Nissan back from the brink of bankruptcy in the late 1990s by orchestrating one of the decade's most aggressive downsizing campaigns, earning him the nicknames "Le cost killer" and "Mr. Fix It."  One of his biggest decisions was to spend $5 billion to build the first mainstream electric car and to ultimately turn Nissan into an all-electric fleet. The Nissan Leaf, the world's first mainstream electric car, was featured in the 2011 documentary "Revenge of the Electric Car."

Ultimately, Carlos Ghosn's financial journey is a testament to their success.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.