Carlos Ghosn, the larger-than-life international business tycoon who fell from grace and left Japan smuggled inside a music box, is the subject of a new documentary series on Apple TV+.
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn investigates the early life and swift rise of a man whom Forbes magazine in 2006 called “the hardest-working man in the brutally competitive global car business”.
The four-part series traces the life of the Brazilian-born former executive who lived the high life for two decades in Japan as the head of Nissan and Renault.
Amid legal troubles, however, in 2019, he escaped to Lebanon aboard a private jet with the help of a former Green Beret.
The series, directed by British filmmaker James Jones, is released on Friday.
“It is a Shakespearean morality play about modern CEOs and corporations and you have Ghosn as the tragic hero, a man who worked his way up from nothing,” Sean McLain, a Wall Street Journal reporter and a consulting producer on the series, told The National.
The documentary details his 2019 brazen escape from Japan that followed several arrests over charges that he underreported his earnings and misappropriated company funds – allegations he has firmly denied.
“I think one thing that the documentary does really well is we're painting a portrait, though not as a villain or a hero, but as a human being with all their works,” Mr McLain said.
“In real-life stories, no person is black or white.”
The documentary includes interviews with Mr Ghosn and his wife Carole in Lebanon, a country that has not signed an extradition agreement with Japan, where he remains a wanted man.
To enable his escape from Tokyo, Mr Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, sought the services of Mike Taylor, who had served in US special forces, and who was also interviewed in the series.
Mr Taylor hid the executive in a custom-made musical instrument box with holes in it so Mr Ghosn could breathe, and then put him on a private jet heading to Lebanon.
But after returning to the US, Mr Taylor and his son Peter, who had also helped Mr Ghosn escape, were extradited to Japan to face charges.
In July 2021, the elder Mr Taylor was sentenced to two years in jail while his son received a 20-month sentence. More than a year later, the two were transferred to the US, where they were allowed to finish the remainder of their sentences. The elder Mr Taylor maintains that he was never paid in full for his services.
Asked in June if he felt any guilt over the two men receiving jail sentences, Mr Ghosn told The National with a laugh: “This is a contract. Come on, these are professional people.”
Earlier this year, Mr Ghosn filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Nissan and accused it of defamation, violating the sanctity of his residence and fabricating charges.
He has also claimed that the Japanese judicial system is unfair.
“I did not escape justice. I escaped injustice,” Mr Ghosn said at a news conference shortly after arriving in Lebanon.
Diana Moukalled, a Lebanese journalist and filmmaker, said that for the past four years Mr Ghosn has largely been living a normal life in Lebanon.
She says he is often seen out in public, is running a new business and has been invited to give lectures to business students at universities.
“In Lebanon, Carlos Ghosn was viewed as a success story, and he is still being treated as such, despite all the charges stacked against him,” Ms Moukalled tells The National.
“His alleged crimes were committed outside of Lebanon, and therefore not a priority for the public as an figure who must face justice.”
But though he is safe from extradition in Lebanon, he has not been able to leave the country, as Japan has issued an Interpol red notice against him, meaning he could be arrested if he travels abroad. He also faces charges in France.
For Mr McLain, what the new documentary achieves is challenging the perception of Mr Ghosn in extreme terms.
“A lot of people see this as a binary debate where Carlos Ghosn is either viewed as the victim of a secret plot by Nissan executives who did not want the Japanese company to merge with Renault,” Mr McLain says.
“Or, Mr Ghosn as a criminal who was using his company as his own personal piggy bank.
“The documentary does a good job of showing that both things can be true.”
Honeymoonish
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
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Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
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Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
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Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
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In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
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Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
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Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
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Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
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Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
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Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
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Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
