Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn sues Nissan for $US1 billion – report

Carlos Ghosn, the former CEO of Nissan and Renault who fled Japan while under house arrest – escaping to his homeland of Lebanon while hiding inside a large box which was loaded onto a private jet – has reportedly sued the Japanese car-maker for more than $US1 billion ($AU1.47 billion).

As reported by news agency Reuters, a lawsuit filed by Mr Ghosn filed in a Lebanese court has accused Nissan of defamation, slander, and libel against the former automotive executive.

The lawsuit also alleges fabrication of material evidence by Nissan and another 12 individuals and two companies.

According to the publication, Mr Ghosn is seeking “$US588 million ($AU866 million) in lost remuneration, and another $500 million $AU737 million) in moral damage” – representing one of the largest lawsuits against a car-maker in history.

MORE: Netflix releases ‘Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos Ghosn’ documentary

"We have a long battle in front of us. We are going to fight it to the end," Mr Ghosn told Reuters from his home in Lebanon.

“What I am asking for is only a little compensation compared to what they've done to me.

The story of Mr Ghosn’s rise and fall in the car industry could be from a Hollywood script, though the fact is almost as unbelievable as fiction.

Between 1999 and 2001, Mr Ghosn ascended from Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer to president and finally Chief Executive Officer, becoming instrumental in the formation of the Renault-Nissan Alliance (later the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance).

In 2005, Mr Ghosn was appointed as Renault’s president before taking the CEO role in 2009 – becoming the first person to run two Fortune 500 companies (Nissan and Renault) at the same time.

Mr Ghosn stepped down as Nissan CEO in 2017, though he remained chairman until he was fired from the board in April 2019 – six months after being arrested by Japanese authorities.

Nissan alleged Mr Ghosn had under-reported his income, diverted corporate investment funds for private use, and misused company money.

Mr Ghosn completed two stints in jail across a combined total of 130 days, paying a bail of 1 billion yen (more than $10.5 million in Australian currency) before being placed under house arrest in April 2019.

On December 29, 2019, Mr Ghosn escaped from home detention and fled the country, aided by a US father and son team who hid the former executive in a large box on wheels, loading the former executive onto a private jet.

Despite also holding French and Brazilian citizenship, Mr Ghosn fled to his homeland of Lebanon which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

In July 2021, Michael and Peter Taylor were sentenced to jail time in Japan for assisting Mr Ghosn’s escape, receiving two-year and 20-month sentences respectively.

Five international arrest warrants were reportedly issued by a French magistrate in April 2022, though Ghosn continues to live a relatively normal life as a free man in Lebanon.