A timeline of key events that began with Carlos Ghosn‘s assignment to Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. by its French alliance partner, Renault SA:
June 1999 – Renault sends Ghosn to be chief operating officer of Nissan.
June 2001 – Ghosn becomes CEO of Nissan after becoming its president a year earlier.
May 2005 – Ghosn becomes CEO of Renault.
October 2016 – Ghosn takes helm at Mitsubishi Motors Corp. after Nissan steps in to salvage the troubled smaller automaker.
June 2017 – Ghosn becomes chairman at Nissan, handing CEO post to Hiroto Saikawa.
Nov. 19, 2018 – Japanese police arrest Ghosn and a Nissan vice president, American lawyer Greg Kelly.
November 2018 – Ghosn is fired from his positions at Nissan and Mitsubishi.
Jan. 8, 2019 – Ghosn appears in a Tokyo court and declares his innocence.
January 2019 – Ghosn retires from his positions at Renault.
Feb. 19, 2019 – French prosecutors open judicial inquiry into alleged money laundering, fraud and misuse of company assets during Ghosn’s time at the helm of the Renault-Nissan alliance.
March 2019 – French prosecutors open preliminary investigation into the financing of a party held by Ghosn at the Versailles chateau.
March 4, 2019 – Ghosn is released from Tokyo detention after posting $9 million bail.
April 4, 2019 – Japanese police detain Ghosn again.
April 25, 2019 – Ghosn is released again, posting $4.5 million bail.
Dec. 29-31, 2019 – Ghosn jumps bail and flees Japan, escaping to Lebanon via Turkey. An American man and his son, Michael and Peter Taylor, are alleged to have helped him sneak out of the country.
Sept. 15, 2020 – Kelly goes on trial at the Tokyo District Court, accused of conspiring with Ghosn to underreport his pay. Trial is ongoing.
Feb. 24, 2021 – Two pilots and a Turkish official are sentenced to four years in prison in Turkey for helping Ghosn escape.
March 2-3, 2021 – Michael and Peter Taylor are extradited from the U.S. to Japan.
May 20, 2021 – Dutch court rejects lawsuit by Ghosn against Nissan-Mitsubishi claiming wrongful dismissal and back pay. Ghosn plans to appeal.
May 31, 2021 – French investigators are expected in Lebanon to question Ghosn.