| Net Worth: | $120 Million |
| Salary: | $17 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Mar 9, 1954 (67 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | Businessperson |
| Nationality: | Lebanon |
Carlos Ghosn net worth and salary: Carlos Ghosn is a French-Lebanese-Brazilian businessman who has a net worth of $120 million. Carlos Ghosn was formerly the CEO Chairman and CEO of Yokohama, Japan-based car company Nissan. Ghosn was also the Chairman and CEO of Paris-based Renalt-Nissian Alliance. Ghosn oversaw the partnership which brought the two companies together through a unique cross-shareholding agreement. Carlos was born in Porto Velho, Brazil on March 9, 1954. He brought Nissan back from the brink of bankruptcy in the late 1990’s, by orchestrating one of the decade’s most aggressive downsizing campaigns, earning him the nicknames “Le cost killer” and “Mr. Fix It”. Thanks to the turnaround success he pulled off at Nissan, Carlos gained celebrity status in the business world and in 2003 was ranked as one of the 50 most famous men in global business and politics. 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 is a subject of the 2011 documentary “Revenge of the Electric Car.”
He has a French mother and Lebanese father. He can speak at least four languages. After graduating from college he spent 18 years working at tire maker Michelin. Carlos eventually rose to plant manager and in 1990 was named CEO of Michelin North America where he oversaw and managed the restructuring of the company after its acquisition of the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company. He was notable in turning around Michelin’s South American operations and in 1996 jumped to Renault as an Executive Vice President. He oversaw the formation of the Renault/Nissan partnership in 1999. Ghosn is married and has four children. He was inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Hall of Fame in 2004.
Arrest and Escape: 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. He allegedly failed to report $44 million worth of pay and allegedly misused company funds.
In January 2020, Carlos shocked the world when he orchestrated a daring escape from Japan to Lebanon. 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 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.
Carlos Ghosn Salary and Compensation: 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 from Nissan, $8.44 million from Renault and $2.02 million from Mitsubishi.
Below is Carlos is salary history dating back to 2009. Prior to 2010, Japanese companies were not required to report senior executive compensation:
2009: $9.33 million
2010: $10.14 million
2011: $13.77 million
2012: $12.75 million
2013: $11.89 million
2014: $17.45 million
2015: $17.81 million
2016: $17.83 million
2017: $16.99 million
2018: $17 million
= $144.96 million
At the time of his arrest, Carlos owned around $60 million worth of shares in Nissan, Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. He has also earned at least $144 million in salary and bonuses since 2010. Prior to 2010, Japanese companies were not required to report executive compensation. He likely earned tens of millions of additional compensation that he was not required to disclose prior to 2010. Had he not been arrested, additional compensation milestones could have awarded Carlos was a total of $200 million worth of shares in Nissan.
Real Estate: According to an investigation in the months after his arrest, Carlos owns at least $25 million worth of properties around the world, including homes in France, Brazil and Lebanon. His apartment in Rio was purchased for $6 million in 2011. In Beirut, he paid $8.75 million for a mansion in 2012. He then reportedly spent $6 million on renovations and furnishings. During his time as CEO, Nissan paid $9,000 per month for Carlos to have an apartment in Amsterdam and an additional $9,000 per month for his Tokyo apartment. The company also owned a $70 million Gulfstream G650 which Carlos could use extensively.