Oh mon Dieu! Gerard Depardieu's $500 Million Dollar 13-Year Tax Evasion Battle

Like most Americans reading this article, I exclusively know Gerard Depardieu from the 1994 movie "My Father the Hero," (which also starred 15-year-old Katherine Heigl). Up until recently, I assumed this was Gerard's first and last film. A flash-in-the-pan. A one-hit-wonder. Easy come, easy go. Good luck finding a normal job back in France, buddy. Sorry it didn't work out!

You can imagine my amazement a few moments ago when I learned that not only was "My Father the Hero" NOT Gerard's first and last movie, he's actually starred in hundreds of movies over the decades, mostly in his native France. And then you can imagine my complete shock when I learned that Gerard earned HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars over the course of his acting career from these movies. He's literally one of the richest actors of all time.

But with great fortune comes… great tax bills. And in 2012, when newly elected French President François Hollande announced a 75% "supertax" on annual income above €1 million ($1.3 million), Gérard said "au revoir" to France — and its tax collectors. And that's where a multi-country battle over Gerard's multi-hundred-million-dollar fortune began…

From French Icon to Fiscal Fugitive

But with great fortune comes… great tax bills. And in 2012, when newly elected French President François Hollande announced a 75% "supertax" on annual income above €1 million ($1.3 million), Gérard said "au revoir" to France — and its tax collectors.

At the time, Depardieu claimed he had paid $192 million in French taxes over a four-decade career. That implies career earnings well north of $500 million — not too shabby for a guy most Americans think disappeared after one mediocre 1994 family rom-com. E

So, where does a tax-weary French millionaire go when things get too hot in Paris? In Gérard's case, the answer was a tiny Belgian village called Néchin, just across the French border, famous for its low taxes and unusually high number of exiled millionaires. He even bought a house there, officially changing his residency to Belgium to escape France's rising rates. Oh, and he renounced his French citizenship in writing, with a letter published in a major newspaper, declaring: "I give you back my passport and my social security card."

In December 2012, Gérard Depardieu listed his Parisian mansion, the Hôtel de Chambon, for sale amid controversy over his decision to leave France for tax reasons. The asking price was reported to be in the region of €50 million, approximately equivalent to $65 million USD. The property, located at 95 rue du Cherche-Midi in the 6th arrondissement, is a historic 19th-century manor featuring 20 rooms, a swimming pool, landscaped gardens, and a theater annex. He ultimately did not sell the home and still owns it today.

Dramatic? Of course. He's an actor. But he wasn't done yet.

Enter: Russia

Just a few months later, in January 2013, Gérard accepted Russian citizenship, granted personally by Vladimir Putin — complete with a televised bear hug and a residence on 1 Democracy Street in the Russian region of Mordovia.

It was pure theater, and it worked: by shifting his legal home to Russia, Gérard locked in a 13% flat income tax rate, a significant upgrade from France's proposed 75%.

He became the face of Russian brands, appeared in state-friendly media campaigns, and even filmed a few movies under his new citizenship. For a while, he leaned into his new identity, calling Russia "a great democracy" and toasting with vodka instead of Bordeaux.

Business Ventures and a $250 Million Net Worth

Behind the scenes, Gérard Depardieu was more than just a tax refugee. He was — and still is — a prolific businessman. His net worth today is $250 million, thanks to decades of film paychecks, brand deals, and savvy investments.

He owns or has owned vineyards in France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Algeria, Morocco, and even Ukraine, along with restaurants, a fish market, and other food-centric ventures. At one point, he had three restaurants in Paris and employed around 80 people across his various businesses.

Goodbye Putin, Hello Europe (Again)

But in recent years, the story took another twist. In 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Depardieu publicly criticized Vladimir Putin, calling the war "fratricidal" and "unacceptable." It was a stark reversal for someone who once declared loyalty to the Russian leader.

Russian politicians were not pleased. Calls to revoke his citizenship and seize his assets followed. Gérard responded by shutting down his film production company in Russia and quietly returning to Europe. Though he reportedly still holds Russian citizenship, he now resides primarily in the European Union.

A Complicated Final Act

Today, Gérard Depardieu is back in Paris — not to reclaim his citizenship or toast a tax victory, but to stand trial for multiple charges of sexual assault. This week, the 75-year-old actor appeared in a Paris courtroom to answer accusations brought by two women who say he groped them on the set of the 2022 film Les Volets Verts. It's the first time Depardieu has faced a courtroom over a growing list of allegations that span harassment, assault, and even rape — all of which he has vehemently denied.

His legal team tried to have the case thrown out, calling the investigation biased and unfair, but the court allowed proceedings to move forward. If found guilty, Depardieu could face up to five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (about $81,000). After initially missing the trial's October 2024 start date due to reported health issues — including diabetes and heart problems — he has now returned to the same city he once fled for financial freedom, this time to confront a far more serious reckoning.

Whatever the outcome, it's clear that Gérard Depardieu's story is no longer just about money, taxes, or even movies. It's a complicated final act in a long, turbulent career — and it's playing out in the very heart of the country he once tried to leave behind.

The Taxman Returns

But as Depardieu confronts these serious criminal allegations in court, another shadow looms: the French government is once again investigating his finances. More than a decade after his dramatic tax exile made headlines, Depardieu is now the subject of a formal inquiry into aggravated tax fraud and money laundering. Authorities believe he may have falsely claimed foreign residency — first in Belgium, later in Russia — to avoid paying millions in French taxes since 2013. In early 2025, investigators raided several of his properties in France and Belgium, searching for evidence that he secretly remained a French resident while enjoying the benefits of lower-tax jurisdictions abroad.

As of now, no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the tax probe, but the investigation is active and ongoing. If found liable, Depardieu could face significant back taxes, penalties, and potentially even prison time. His lawyers argue the case is unfounded and politically motivated, but French prosecutors appear determined to settle the question of whether the actor truly cut ties with his homeland — or simply played a long, elaborate game of fiscal hide-and-seek.

So while Gérard Depardieu may have once fled France over taxes, France hasn't forgotten. And now, between criminal trials and financial scrutiny, the country he once tried to leave behind may end up writing the closing chapter of his long and controversial legacy.