In what must be godsend to studios in Hollywood, the former chairman and CEO of the (Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi) Alliance became an international fugitive after pulling off an audacious escape from his house arrest in Tokyo. Ghosn had been awaiting trial after being charged with financial misconduct and breach of trust when serving as the CEO of Nissan.
Depending on which news sources you may be referring to, Ghosn was reported to have hid in a musical instrument box (after a band had performed at his Tokyo residence) and whisked away by mercenaries disguising as musicians to a local airport, purportedly Kansai International Airport at Osaka. The daring plan was allegedly hatched by his wife, Carole Ghosn.
Ghosn was said to have then boarded a Bombardier business jet to Turkey before switching planes and ending up in Lebanon, where his ancestral home is. Ghosn holds Lebanese citizenship and is revered in the middle east state, and of course, Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.
Upon his arrival, Ghosn issued a brief statement saying that he had not fled justice, but “escaped injustice and political persecution”. The former head of Nissan, famous for turning around the fortunes of the Japanese carmaker in the 2000s, is expected to hold a press conference soon to tell his side of the story. We can’t wait.
Initial reports of Ghosn having fled Tokyo over the eye of the new year were barely believable, the clandestine operation having caught the Japanese authorities wholly unaware and the world by storm. You can bet that high-powered executives from Hollywood studios are already making overtures to the Ghosn family for the rights to tell this incredible, still-developing story.
So, here’s our prediction for the all-star cast to the yet unnamed blockbuster; Tom Cruise to play Carlos Ghosn, Jennifer Lawrence as Carole Ghosn, Ken Watanabe as the prosecutor and Donnie Yen as Ghosn’s lawyer. Directed by Ang Lee. How’s that?
