The show “Complément d’enquête”, aired on Thursday on France 2, focused on the cost of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, particularly on the remuneration of the committee’s leaders. At the Paris La Défense Arena on Saturday, March 23, the president of Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet, welcomed with great pomp the 45,000 volunteers who responded to the call to help organize the Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be held in France this summer. But this Coubertin spirit does not seem to be shared at the highest levels…
For an episode dedicated to the budget of the Games, the “Complément d’enquête” team found several documents showing that these Olympics are particularly lucrative for some committee leaders. Among these documents is an internal budget note dated December 11 and intended for the Board of Directors of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee. The 106-page document details the committee’s expenses, including the budget allocated to the overall payroll for the entire duration of the Games organization. The estimated amount is €584.8 million.
This payroll covers all salaries paid since 2017, from the thirty employees at the beginning to the 4,000 payslips that will be issued during the Games, according to Michaël Aloïsio, the committee’s spokesperson. While the committee justifies this payroll, it is still €115 million higher than the amount announced in the bid dossier.
The “Complément d’enquête” also found another document that questions the idea that employees are paid fairly. It is a pre-report from the Court of Auditors dated March 2021, which mentions higher salary levels on average in the committee compared to the private sector. The report details the salaries of the committee’s leaders, outlining discrepancies and significant increases.
The Court of Auditors believes that there are too many people paid too much within the organizing committee. Despite this, the committee continues with salary increases, including some executives seeing significant raises. These issues have sparked controversy and debate among members of the committee, with concerns about budgetary prudence and fairness in remuneration.
The case of president Tony Estanguet is particularly in the spotlight, as the National Financial Prosecutor has opened an investigation into how his remuneration is structured. Tony Estanguet’s payment through a company he owns as a freelancer has raised eyebrows, as the amounts invoiced are quite substantial according to internal data.
The show “Complément d’enquête” will explore these issues further and air a special episode on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and their budget on Thursday, March 28 on France 2.
