Carlos Ghosn remains in Beirut, beyond the reach of Japanese prosecutors. But the money he allegedly took may not be.
Nissan Motor Co. filed a civil suit in Yokohama District Court on February 12 seeking ¥10 billion — roughly $91 million — from its former chairman. The company says it wants that cash back. The sum covers what Ghosn allegedly spent on luxury apartments in Beirut, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris, plus personal trips on corporate jets. Nissan says the tab could grow as it pays fines and penalties tied to Ghosn’s behavior.
The lawsuit lands on the eve of Nissan’s financial results, a timing Ghosn himself pointed out. “Nissan’s maneuvers continue: this complaint is made public on the eve of the Japanese group’s financial results,” he said in a statement. He denies the criminal allegations that preceded this civil action.
Those criminal charges date to 2018. Japanese prosecutors accused Ghosn of underreporting his salary by millions of dollars over multiple years. They also alleged he shifted personal trading losses onto Nissan’s books. Ghosn was arrested, then released on bail. He was under house arrest in Tokyo in November 2019 when he fled. He hid inside a music equipment case on a private jet and flew to Lebanon. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon. He has not returned.
This civil case is a separate track. Criminal law aims to punish. Civil law aims to recover. Nissan’s complaint targets Ghosn’s actions across his tenure as chairman. The company stated it wants “to recover a significant part of the monetary damages inflicted on the company by its former chairman as a result of years of his misconduct and fraudulent activity.”
The ¥10 billion claim is not small. But it may not be the final number. Nissan said the amount could rise as it accounts for fines and penalties it must pay because of Ghosn’s conduct. Those costs are still being tallied.
Ghosn’s response was brief and pointed. He called the timing of the public filing a maneuver. He did not address the specific dollar figures in the suit. He has consistently denied the criminal charges since his arrest in 2018.
The case raises questions about enforcement. Ghosn lives in Lebanon. He holds French, Brazilian, and Lebanese passports. Japanese courts have no direct power there. Nissan could seek to enforce any judgment through Lebanese courts, or through courts in France or Brazil if Ghosn holds assets there. That process is slow and uncertain.
For Nissan, the suit is also about optics. The company has spent years cleaning up after the Ghosn era. It posted weak earnings. It cut jobs. It restructured its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi. A civil judgment against Ghosn would let Nissan say it held its former leader accountable, even if it cannot put him in jail.
The criminal case is effectively stalled. Ghosn is beyond extradition. Japanese prosecutors cannot try him in absentia for these charges. The civil case moves forward, but on a different timetable. Discovery, motions, and hearings in Yokohama will take months, likely years.
What happens next depends on where Ghosn’s money sits. If he has assets in Japan, Nissan can seize them. If his wealth is in Lebanon, France, or Brazil, the company must chase it through foreign courts. Ghosn has said he is innocent. He has also said he will not return to Japan to face trial.
Nissan’s board approved the suit. The company’s shareholders will watch closely. They have seen the stock fall. They have seen the reputation tarnish. A recovery of ¥10 billion would help. But the real prize may be symbolic: a ruling that says Ghosn stole, even if he never pays a yen.
