In the bustling courtroom of Paris, the well-known business leader painted a picture of himself as the driving force behind transforming LVMH into the top luxury empire globally. This conglomerate now boasts 75 brands, like Louis Vuitton and Dior, and employs around 200,000 people worldwide. Quite a leap from the modest 10,000 employees that were on the payroll when Mr. Arnault took the reins in the 1980s.
He firmly denied any involvement or knowledge of any illegal surveillance activities.
Mr. Squarcini stood trial alongside nine other individuals, including civil servants, police officers, and consultants. Out of them, two were acquitted.
As the central figure in the case, Mr. Squarcini faced a slew of convictions, notably for misusing classified information and being complicit in a private investigator’s unauthorized operations. However, he was cleared of several other allegations.
The court’s ruling highlighted Mr. Squarcini’s actions, specifically, “diverting state resources to address the hidden agendas” of his major client, LVMH. It was noted that he “crafted and implemented an extensive surveillance plan” targeting Mr. Ruffin and his satirical publication, Fakir. Fakir’s team members contributed to the creation of the film “Merci Patron,” which depicted Mr. Arnault as a quintessential figure of corporate excess.
Reflecting on the court’s decision, Benjamin Sarfati, representing Mr. Ruffin, remarked on Thursday, “The court imposed harsh penalties, reflecting the grave nature of Mr. Squarcini and his team’s assaults on press freedom, expression rights, and the privileges of Francois Ruffin and the Fakir newspaper.” He further expressed a desire to see LVMH held accountable, suggesting that those convicted operated under the company’s directive.
