The Sun King Syndrome – Carlos Ghosn and the CEO’s Dark Side
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 21
- 5 min read
Barbara Suigo is a charisma expert, HR consultant, and author. Specializing in the development of soft skills, she has published the "Charisma Trilogy" and offers personalized training and coaching programs for leaders and professionals.
There is a kind of charisma, typical of many men in power, that serves not to unite but to dominate. A charisma bent on the utmost personal advantage, exercised at the expense of those around them. A charisma that does not grow the organization but consumes it to feed its own throne.
Carlos Ghosn was its emblem: the savior of Nissan, a global CEO able to move between continents and cultures with apparent ease, the protagonist of a rise as brilliant as it was dark. His face and story appeared on magazine covers, at conferences, and in corporate campaigns. But when people began digging beneath the surface, it became clear that his charisma was a mechanism of consent that enabled him to reach levels of power that were nearly impossible to challenge, a position from which he expanded his influence well beyond the boundaries of a managerial role. It was no longer about leading a company but about ruling a personal empire in which decisions, strategies, and even the public narrative were filtered and shaped by his figure.
This precisely calibrated charisma worked as a powerful tool of seduction for investors, the media, and institutional partners, while at the same time fueling a corporate culture centered on the leader rather than the mission. The image of savior and innovator was used as a shield against criticism, as currency to gain unlimited trust, and as leverage to justify choices that primarily benefited himself.
In the end, the aura of untouchability he had built over the years proved to be his greatest deception and his fatal flaw. Because when charisma becomes an end in itself rather than a tool for the common good, it is no longer leadership: it is domination. And domination, even when masked as success, always carries a price, one paid by those under the throne.
From savior to the system’s center
When Renault sent him to rescue Nissan in 1999, the company was on the verge of collapse. Ghosn returned it to profitability through drastic moves: plant closures, staff cuts, and deep restructuring. The press crowned him “Le Cost Killer,” and for years, he was celebrated as a visionary leader.
But the narrative began to change when his role turned into an absolute epicenter. All decisions went through him; the Renault–Nissan Alliance became synonymous with his name. His image was the brand; his voice, the corporate line.
Behind the financial success and media praise, episodes emerged, hinting at a climate of intense internal pressure. Over the years, news stories brought attention to the hardships faced by employees, with testimonies and letters describing the weight of stringent goals and a corporate culture perceived as oppressive. These accounts, while varied, helped surface the issue of the psychological impact certain leadership models can have on people at operational levels.
In such environments, constant pressure becomes an invisible but devastating lever. The targets set by a charismatic leader like Ghosn had a real impact, not just in numbers, but in the everyday lives of workers. In this sense, charisma stops being a collective force and becomes a vertical power that crushes those who cannot keep up.
This scenario shows how an excessive obsession with performance disregards the boundaries of human dignity, a workplace where productivity outweighs the person, and where neither mistakes nor doubts are tolerated.
Ostentatious narcissism
It wasn’t enough to be at the top; it had to be shown without compromise. Ghosn did not simply live in prestigious apartments; he turned his residences, from Tokyo to Beirut, Paris to Amsterdam, into actual stages of ostentation. They were not mere private spaces but public representations of power: settings designed to reflect unattainable wealth, reinforcing the perception of a distant, unreachable leadership.
The multimillion-dollar yacht inevitably caught the eye, not just a symbol of personal comfort, but a statement of superiority and control. This use of luxury acted as a filter between Ghosn and the rest of the world: a dividing line between those who act and those who are merely spectators.
The wedding held at the Palace of Versailles marked the pinnacle of this spectacular construction. More than a ceremony, it was a theatrical event: staging a ruler-like figure who needed no popular legitimization because he displayed it abundantly in his chosen settings. Using Versailles, the cradle of monarchic absolutism, to celebrate a private union financed, in part, with corporate funds, was an act of narcissistic performance that went beyond personal grandeur.
These choices were not simply the result of personal taste or aesthetic preference; they were deliberate tools, calibrated to craft an unassailable figure who not only led but also dominated the imagination. In the psychology of power, this behavior is often described as “scenographic charisma”: a symbolic construction of the public image that carries value independent of ethical or relational substance.
In this context, symbols become active agents. Lavish residences, the yacht, and the Versailles celebration were not just backdrops but performative elements capable of silencing questions, hiding flaws, and creating a quasi-sacred aura around the leader. When the image precedes and overshadows reality, the line between legitimacy and abuse dangerously blurs.
The “dark triad” on the corporate stage
Ghosn’s profile reflects the three key traits of the Dark Triad:
Narcissism, a constant need for admiration, a grandiose self-image, ostentatious displays of wealth;
Machiavellianism, skill in manipulating people and contexts to maintain control;
Psychopathy is a lack of remorse for the consequences of one’s decisions, a willingness to take extreme risks for personal gain.
From glory to cinematic escape
In November 2018, his arrest in Japan on charges of financial misconduct marked the definitive break in his aura of invincibility. In December 2019, Ghosn fled, hidden inside a musical instrument case, reaching Lebanon to evade Japanese justice. An ending seemingly scripted for a movie, but one that left behind a fractured company and a globally compromised reputation.
The Ghosn case demonstrates how fine the line is between authentic charisma and performative charisma. When a leader’s magnetism becomes a tool for self-celebration and control, the risk to organizations is enormous: the leader’s centrality suffocates collective competencies, and the human cost can be severe.
In an age where media seduction often replaces substance, recognizing the signs of the charismatic psychopath is a professional survival skill.
If you notice in your company a superficial charm, concentration of power, ostentatious luxury, and indifference toward people, don’t dismiss these as mere “leadership style.” In my upcoming book Charismatic Psychopaths, set for release in 2026, I examine cases like Carlos Ghosn’s and provide practical tools to recognize, manage, and protect yourself from these dynamics before it’s too late.
Sometimes, what at first appears as inspiration may, over time, reveal itself as a force that takes far more than it gives back. Recognizing and sharing these signals can help you look beyond the surface of the most captivating leadership stories. If you’ve experienced a similar situation, share it with me, your story may offer valuable insight.
Read more from Barbara Suigo
Barbara Suigo, Senior HR Consultant, Author, Charisma Expert
Born in Italy and naturalized as a French citizen, Barbara Suigo is an HR consultant, author, coach, and trainer specializing in the Art of Charisma. With solid experience in corporate communication and extensive training in NLP, persuasion, and storytelling techniques, she supports professionals and companies by offering personalized coaching, training programs, and in-depth content.
Barbara is the author of the Charisma Trilogy, a work that deeply explores how to develop and harness personal influence and leadership presence. She has also published other books focused on personal and professional growth, solidifying her role as a leader in the field of soft skills development.
