Emmanuel Macron

A judicial investigation opened in December 2022 concerns suspected offences, including corruption, influence peddling, illegal taking of interest and abuse of authority, linked to authorisations for the sale to foreign investors of assets belonging to Alstom, Alcatel, Technip, Safran Identity, STX shipyards and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. The referral sent to the judicial authorities in January 2019 by Olivier Marleix, former chair of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the state's industrial policy, raised the possibility of a "corruption pact", drawing connections between certain advisers on these transactions and supporters or donors to Macron's 2017 campaign.

The Constitution provides no status for the president's spouse; after the 2017 controversy over the idea of official status, the Élysée published a transparency charter in August defining her representative duties and the resources made available to her: staff, a secretariat and protection funded by the presidency, without a salary or separate budget. Brigitte Macron, who had accompanied the campaign and advised her husband while he was a minister, also retained considerable informal influence: reviewing speeches, debriefing appearances, relaying information, offering views on certain appointments and maintaining cultural and political networks. This position fuelled debate over the influence of an unelected individual.

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Spouse

Macron promised that the Citizens' Convention on Climate proposals would be submitted "unfiltered" to the government, Parliament or a referendum, before rejecting or weakening several measures. Some participants and NGOs considered the Climate and Resilience Law highly inadequate, and numerous provisions were further relaxed through 2026.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Senate documented a dramatic increase in the state's use of consultancy firms, including McKinsey, and criticised their influence, cost and certain procurement arrangements. The National Financial Prosecutor's Office opened several investigations, particularly into McKinsey's tax affairs and possible links between the consultancy and Macron's presidential campaigns.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Following the RN's victory in the European elections, Macron immediately dissolved the National Assembly. The snap legislative elections produced a Parliament without an absolute majority, opened a prolonged government crisis and durably weakened the presidential camp.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Alexis Kohler, Élysée Secretary-General and Macron's closest senior administrative adviser, was formally placed under investigation in 2022 for illegal taking of interest because of his family links with shipping company MSC and public decisions in which he had participated before joining the Élysée.

State of the evidence

Aide charged – protagonist not prosecuted

Attribution

Close aide

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

A financial investigation concerns contracts linked to presidential events and relationships between public officials and Shortcut Events. In 2026, investigators conducted searches and notably attempted to gain access to the Élysée; the palace was subsequently searched as part of the proceedings.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

Since 2021, a false rumour has claimed that Brigitte Macron was born male and is actually her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux. Brigitte Macron and her brother sued two women who spread the allegation: their 2024 defamation conviction was overturned on appeal in July 2025, after which an appeal to the Court of Cassation was lodged. In January 2026, ten people were convicted in Paris for cyberharassment of Brigitte Macron, for messages linked in particular to this rumour and to allegations of child sexual offences. In the United States, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have been suing influencer Candace Owens and associated entities for defamation in Delaware since July 2025; the defence has sought dismissal.

Attribution

Spouse is the victim – context

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist is the victim

Publication of Florian Tardif's book Un couple (presque) parfait revived a rumour that Macron had maintained a supposedly "platonic" relationship with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani and linked this alleged closeness to tensions between the couple visible in the Hanoi video.

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Servier sold Biogaran, which accounts for approximately 30% of the French generics market, to investment fund BC Partners. The transaction, valued at between €800 million and €1 billion, revived debate over health sovereignty and foreign control of an essential supplier.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

At the end of the second presidential term, France had very high public debt, a deficit exceeding European commitments and a sharply downgraded growth forecast for 2026. In September 2026, the government acknowledged that it would miss its deficit target of 5% of GDP while debt servicing costs reached approximately €65 billion.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Shared responsibility

A Le Monde investigation described a close relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Rodolphe Saadé, head of CMA CGM, who had also become a powerful media owner. Several former members or associates of Macron-aligned ministerial offices joined the group, while CMA CGM benefited from a specific maritime tax framework and played a strategic role for the state.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Macron made banning social media for under-15s a priority towards the end of his term. The French attempt was invalidated before taking effect, after which he called on the European Commission to introduce a ban across the Union.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Sanofi sold control of Opella, which manufactures Doliprane among other products, to US investment fund CD&R. The prospect of an emblematic medicine coming under foreign investment fund control triggered strong controversy over health sovereignty.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

A Senate inquiry committee documented Nestlé Waters' use of prohibited treatments and found that state services and the presidency had been informed of regulatory difficulties. Correspondence fuelled allegations of opaque handling excessively favourable to the group.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

A video taken as the presidential aircraft door opened in Hanoi shows Brigitte Macron's hands pushing Emmanuel Macron's face away, causing him to move backwards. The footage went viral and prompted interpretations involving an argument or slap.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Backstage at Folies Bergère, Brigitte Macron called activists who had disrupted an Ary Abittan performance "filthy bitches". Feminist groups and activists filed a complaint for public insult.

State of the evidence

Documented

Macron announced that France would recognise the State of Palestine, becoming the first Western permanent member of the Security Council to take this step. Israel and US officials condemned it as a political reward for Hamas, while other critics accused Paris of acting too late and in a largely symbolic manner.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

In November 2014, Emmanuel Macron, who had become Economy Minister after the process began, authorised General Electric's investment in Alstom's energy businesses. The transaction transferred strategic operations to GE, including Arabelle turbines used in nuclear power, and became an enduring symbol of lost industrial sovereignty. Commitments to create 1,000 jobs were subsequently not met.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

The revelation of violence committed on 1 May 2018 by Alexandre Benalla, an Élysée adviser, triggered a major crisis when it emerged that the presidency had quickly become aware of the events, imposed only a limited internal sanction, and that the adviser had used diplomatic passports and enjoyed privileges. Parliamentary committees denounced governance failings.

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

To secure a parliamentary compromise, the government accepted an immigration bill substantially toughened by the right, which passed with votes from Rassemblement national. Macron himself referred the legislation to the Constitutional Council, which struck down 35 of its 86 articles, largely as legislative riders.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following a conference in support of Ukraine, Macron stated that there was no consensus on sending Western troops but that "nothing should be ruled out". Several European allies and NATO immediately ruled out sending combat forces.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

The constitutional proposal to expand the provincial electoral roll in New Caledonia was adopted by Parliament despite opposition from independence supporters. It coincided with the worst violence since the 1980s, involving deaths, destruction and a state of emergency, and was accused by independence supporters of upsetting the balance of the Nouméa process.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

The New Popular Front, which had won the largest number of seats, proposed Lucie Castets as Prime Minister. Macron refused to appoint her, considering that an NFP government would immediately face a successful no-confidence vote, and chose Republican Michel Barnier after nearly two months of consultations. The RN indicated that it would not immediately bring down his government.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The proposed separation and sale of Atos businesses triggered major controversy over protecting supercomputers, cybersecurity and other sensitive assets. Olivier Marleix publicly questioned the government in September 2023, drawing parallels with Alstom, Alcatel and Technip.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

A French Tech promotional event in Las Vegas centred on Emmanuel Macron at CES 2016 was entrusted to Havas without a proper tender procedure. An investigation into favouritism (in public procurement) was opened, and former Business France director Muriel Pénicaud was formally placed under investigation in 2023 for complicity in favouritism (in public procurement).

State of the evidence

Documented

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Macron championed raising the statutory retirement age from 62 to 64 despite weeks of mass demonstrations and opposition from every trade union. Without a guaranteed majority, Élisabeth Borne invoked Article 49.3 on the bill in the National Assembly.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

US company HEICO acquired Exxelia, a French electronic components manufacturer whose products are used in the Rafale and F-35, among other systems. The sale fuelled debate over the transfer of a strategic defence SME to a foreign company.

State of the evidence

Documented

The government blocked the sale to US company Flowserve of two French SMEs, Segault and Velan SAS, producing sensitive equipment for the nuclear industry and submarines, considering the proposed guarantees insufficient.

State of the evidence

Documented

Returning from a visit to China, Macron said Europe should not be a "follower" of the United States or allow itself to be driven by China's timetable concerning Taiwan. The remarks attracted strong criticism in the United States, Germany and Central Europe.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

During a visit to Israel after 7 October, Macron proposed involving the international coalition against ISIS in the fight against Hamas. The idea caught the French Foreign Ministry by surprise and attracted little support, while prompting criticism over the initial absence of an explicit call for a humanitarian pause.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

Macron defended Gérard Depardieu on the basis of the presumption of innocence, denounced a "witch-hunt" and stated that the actor "makes France proud". He also repeated doubts about the editing of footage from Complément d'enquête, whose authenticity was subsequently confirmed.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

The Uber Files revealed numerous direct exchanges between Macron, his office and Uber when he was Economy Minister, at a time when the company faced strong regulatory and social opposition. A parliamentary inquiry committee described a privileged and opaque relationship and raised the possibility of a "deal".

State of the evidence

Documented

Macron decided on national lockdowns and subsequently supported the health pass, compulsory vaccination for certain professionals and the vaccine pass. These measures prompted demonstrations and strong criticism in the name of individual freedoms, equality and medical consent.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Macron confirmed the closure of Fessenheim's two reactors in 2020, a commitment inherited from François Hollande, as part of a policy to reduce nuclear power's share. Less than two years later, he announced the construction of at least six EPR2 reactors and a major revival of nuclear power.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

In an interview with Le Parisien, Macron said he "really wanted to piss off" unvaccinated people by restricting their access to social activities as much as possible. The phrase caused a political storm during parliamentary scrutiny of the vaccine pass.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

The CNCCFP approved Emmanuel Macron's 2022 campaign accounts following adjustments. Recognised expenditure amounted to approximately €16.5 million and public reimbursement to approximately €10.46 million.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Macron stated that Russia should not be "humiliated" in order to preserve a diplomatic path after the war. The wording irritated Kyiv and several Central and Eastern European countries, which feared a negotiated peace at Ukraine's expense.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

Macron announced the military withdrawal from Mali following the rupture with the junta, while security conditions in the Sahel remained severely deteriorated. Numerous observers described the end of Barkhane in Mali as the failure of a French political and military approach.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Shared responsibility

The government indicated that it would oppose the takeover of Carrefour by Canadian group Couche-Tard, considering the retailer strategic for food security. Couche-Tard abandoned the transaction.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

In late 2020, the government rejected US company Teledyne's offer to acquire Photonis, a strategically important night-vision specialist and defence supplier. French investment fund HLD eventually acquired the company.

State of the evidence

Documented

The "Global Security" bill, supported by the presidential majority, prompted strong mobilisation by journalists, NGOs and civil liberties defenders, particularly against the article targeting malicious distribution of images of police officers. The Constitutional Council struck down that provision and several others.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Macron launched a strategy against "Islamist separatism" that resulted in legislation reinforcing respect for the principles of the Republic. Associations, religious leaders and lawyers condemned the risks of stigmatising Muslims and tightening oversight of associations, schools and religious organisations.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Paris Administrative Court found that the state had unlawfully failed to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, in a landmark ruling in the "Affaire du siècle" climate litigation.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Australia abruptly cancelled its contract with Naval Group for twelve conventional submarines and announced the AUKUS partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom. Paris temporarily recalled its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra and condemned a "stab in the back".

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

US investment fund Searchlight took control of aerospace equipment manufacturer Latécoère, a supplier to Airbus and other major aircraft manufacturers. The transaction sparked controversy over foreign control of a company regarded as strategic and the weakness of French shareholding.

State of the evidence

Documented

The Pacte Law authorised the privatisation of ADP Group. A cross-party coalition initiated the first shared-initiative referendum to prevent the sale. Approximately 1.1 million signatures were collected, well below the 4.7 million threshold, but the stock market crisis and Covid led the government to postpone and ultimately abandon the project.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Édouard Philippe's government invoked Article 49.3 to pass at first reading Macron's proposed universal pension system after weeks of strikes and tens of thousands of amendments.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

As the epidemic accelerated and major restrictions were announced, Macron maintained the first round of municipal elections on 15 March. National lockdown was announced the following day and took effect on 17 March, prompting criticism of the inconsistent timetable.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Shared responsibility

France entered the pandemic with insufficient stocks, particularly of FFP2 masks, while expired masks were destroyed and official communications initially downplayed the value of mask-wearing among the general population. The shortage of equipment became emblematic of the state's lack of preparedness.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Veolia proposed buying 29.9% of Suez from Engie before seeking to acquire the whole group. The government said it wanted to avoid a hostile transaction and requested more time, but the state's representatives on Engie's board were outvoted and the sale was approved.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

During the tribute to Samuel Paty, Macron declared that France would not renounce cartoons. Combined with his speech on Islamist separatism, the statement triggered strong reactions among leaders and public opinion in several Muslim countries, as well as calls to boycott French products.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

In late 2014, the state sold 49.99% of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport to the Chinese-Hong Kong consortium Casil Europe. The Court of Auditors subsequently criticised the privatisation process and selection of the buyer. Casil eventually resold its stake to Eiffage in 2019 for nearly €500 million, making a substantial capital gain.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Macron supported the application and subsequent ratification of CETA between the European Union and Canada, even though an expert commission he had appointed identified insufficient climate ambition, uncertainties concerning the precautionary principle and agricultural risks. Ratification even caused dissent within his majority.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

Policing of the Yellow Vests protests was marked by numerous injuries, including loss of eyes and mutilations, particularly associated with less-lethal projectile launchers and grenades. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights called on France to better respect demonstrators' rights and suspend use of LBD launchers.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Macron told The Economist that NATO was experiencing "brain death", citing American disengagement and Turkey's uncoordinated offensive in Syria. The remark provoked strongly negative reactions from Angela Merkel and several allies.

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

The state sold 52% of Française des jeux and retained only approximately 20%, generating more than €2 billion. As the first major privatisation of Macron's presidential term, the transaction was criticised for selling a profitable monopoly and because of risks associated with the gambling sector.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Article 191 of the 2015 Macron Law opened the Nice and Lyon airport companies to privatisation. In 2016, the state sold its 60% stake in Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur to the Azzurra consortium, dominated by Atlantia and Aeroporti di Roma alongside EDF Invest, for approximately €1.22 billion, and its 60% stake in Aéroports de Lyon to the Vinci Airports–Predica–Caisse des dépôts consortium for €535 million. The sales renewed debate over selling profitable and strategic infrastructure; the Court of Auditors, which examined Toulouse, Nice and Lyon together, later criticised the governance, preparation and protection of public interests in these privatisations.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Macron's campaign rapidly raised substantial sums from private donors and organised numerous fundraising dinners. Media outlets subsequently examined commercial discounts granted during the campaign and the use of networks established before his candidacy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The first budget of Macron's presidential term replaced the solidarity tax on wealth with a property wealth tax and introduced a single flat-rate levy on capital income. The multibillion-euro cost of the wealth tax reform and the profile of its beneficiaries fuelled the image of a government favouring the wealthiest.

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

In a video released by the Élysée, Macron said that France spent "a crazy amount of money" on minimum social benefits without sufficiently helping poor people escape poverty. The phrase shocked charities and the opposition.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

In Denmark, Macron humorously contrasted the Danish people, whom he described as open to change, with "Gauls resistant to change". The remark revived allegations of arrogance and criticising French people while abroad.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

Macron told a young unemployed horticultural worker that he only needed to cross the street to find work in catering or construction. The exchange was widely interpreted as downplaying the difficulties of unemployment and matching skills to available jobs.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

During the centenary of the 1918 armistice, Macron said that Philippe Pétain had been a "great soldier" in the First World War while recalling his "disastrous choices" under Vichy. The remark caused fierce controversy over whether the soldier of Verdun could be separated from the head of the collaborationist regime.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

The planned increase in fuel taxes became the immediate trigger for the Yellow Vests movement. After several weeks of protests and violence, the government announced a moratorium and subsequently abandoned the increase planned for 2019.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Emmanuel Macron met Brigitte Trogneux at La Providence school in Amiens, where she ran a drama workshop, among other activities. Sources establish that he was approximately 14 when he joined the class and she was 39, an age difference of twenty-four years. Their relationship, which became public as his political career progressed, has since prompted recurring controversy over the age gap and the former educational relationship.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Macron supported the merger of Alcatel-Lucent with Finland's Nokia in 2015, presented as the creation of a European telecommunications champion. The government secured commitments on employment and R&D, but Nokia subsequently announced job cuts in France, fuelling criticism of the loss of a decision-making centre and technological sovereignty.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Command responsibility

France's Technip merged with US company FMC Technologies in a transaction presented as a merger of equals, creating TechnipFMC with an international legal structure. The deal fuelled criticism of the loss of French decision-making centres and was subsequently included among the asset transactions examined in the judicial investigation into strategic assets.

State of the evidence

Documented

Safran sold its biometrics and security subsidiary Morpho to Advent International, owner of Oberthur, for approximately €2.425 billion. Given Morpho's sensitive activities, the transaction triggered considerable controversy over sovereignty and falls within the scope of the current judicial investigation into strategic assets.

State of the evidence

Documented

After leaving Bercy, Macron was accused of having used a very large proportion of the ministry's entertainment budget over a few months and possibly using those meetings to build his political network ahead of En Marche!.

During a visit to Algeria in the presidential campaign, Macron described colonisation as a "crime against humanity", triggering fierce controversy in France among right-wing politicians, Harkis and repatriates.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

At the inauguration of Station F, Macron referred to a railway station as a place where one encounters "people who succeed and people who are nothing". The phrase immediately triggered allegations of class contempt.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

Macron joked in front of officials about "kwassa-kwassa" boats, which "don't do much fishing" but "bring Comorians". In a context in which these boats had been involved in thousands of deaths between Comoros and Mayotte, the remark was condemned as cynical and humiliating.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

At the G20, Macron described part of Africa's challenge as "civilisational" and referred to countries where women had "seven or eight children", prompting allegations of condescension, neocolonialism and oversimplification of the causes of poverty.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

Following a disagreement over military funding and a public reprimand by Emmanuel Macron, Chief of Defence Staff Pierre de Villiers resigned on 19 July 2017, the first such resignation by a serving Chief of Defence Staff under the Fifth Republic.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

The government implemented an employment law reform sought by Macron through ordinances: caps on employment tribunal compensation, expansion of company-level bargaining and simplification of industrial relations. Opposing trade unions denounced what they saw as a weakening of workers' protections.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

Speaking from Athens, Macron declared that he would yield "nothing, neither to slackers, nor cynics, nor extremists", as protests against his employment law reform were being prepared. The wording was seen as another expression of contempt towards opponents.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

In July 2017, Macron decided to temporarily nationalise the STX France shipyards to prevent Fincantieri from obtaining what was considered excessive control. Two months later, a compromise provided for a 50% stake for Fincantieri and the loan of an additional 1% by the state, a mechanism criticised as "elastic privatisation".

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Confronted in Lunel by opponents of the labour law, Macron replied that "the best way to afford a suit is to work". The phrase became emblematic of allegations of contempt towards ordinary people that followed him.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

The bill on growth and economic activity championed by Emmanuel Macron was passed in the National Assembly following three uses of Article 49.3 by Manuel Valls's government, against a background of rebellion by part of the Socialist majority.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Shared responsibility

Under Macron, the state temporarily increased its stake in Renault to secure the application of the Florange Law and double voting rights, despite Carlos Ghosn's opposition. The decision triggered a governance crisis involving Renault and Nissan and fuelled debate over activist state shareholding.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

As Economy Minister, Macron referred to female employees of the Gad abattoir, stating that "many of them are illiterate". The wording triggered major social controversy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

After working at the Inspectorate General of Finance, Emmanuel Macron joined Rothschild & Cie and notably advised Nestlé on its acquisition of Pfizer's infant nutrition business, a transaction worth approximately $12 billion. His highly remunerative period in investment banking subsequently became central to criticism of his closeness to financial circles and movement between the public and private sectors.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated