Exclusive. Businessman Bernard Tapie bequeathed a mountain of debt. His wife Dominique must now repay nearly 600 million euros. Paris Match conducted the investigation.
Nothing, nothing remains of the heritage which, between the sublime residence on rue des Saints-Pères, that of Saint-Tropez, the Moulin du Breuil, the paintings, the jets, the yachts, nourished the legend of Bernard Tapie , writes our journalist Sophie des Déserts in introduction. Nothing, zero. His widow, Dominique, discovered that she was on the straw, she adds in her investigation. Death swept away everything, except the debt, each day more unreal with the interest: nearly 600 million to be reimbursed just to the CDR (the Consortium of realization, ad hoc structure responsible for managing the liabilities of the Lyonnais).
The animals have found refuge with Brigitte Bardot
The mailbox is overflowing with invoices, letters from the tax authorities and bailiffs: “Don’t open, mum, begs Laurent. It’s no use.” Soon, the creditors will feed on the estate, which the family is about to renounce. The asset is valued at the highest at 300 million euros, so there will be as much left to repay. Even the apartment that Ms. Tapie had inherited from her grandmother, a 90-square-meter rue de Grenelle, no longer belongs to her. And she must, by the end of February, move, adds Sophie des Déserts. Without the help of her friend Borloo, who rented her an apartment on the left bank, she would no longer have a home. From the Moulin du Breuil, she was able to evacuate the animals. All, horses, hens, donkeys, kids have found refuge, at the edge of the water, at Brigitte Bardot, concludes our journalist.
Find the entire investigation by Sophie des Déserts in number 3797 of Paris Match, on sale Thursday.
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