If I get out on the streets right now and I start asking people about French actors, they’d probably look at down at me and leave. Until I mention one name, which I bet everyone knows – Gerard Depardieu – winner of the Golden Globe and Oscar nominee. His personal historic Paris mansion is now on sale, because the actor wants to avoid the 75% top tax set to be established in France during the next year and will reportedly move to the village of Néchin, at the border with Belgium.
Rather intriguingly, the actor has also given up his French passport, as a sign of disgrace to the current tax-related situation in France. His home, Hôtel Particulier, which is, in fact, the term used by Frenchmen to describe a grand privately-owned town house, was constructed back in the 1820s and can be found in the exclusive 6th arrondissement of Paris.
It boasts with around 20,000 square feet of space, comprising 10 bedrooms from a total of 20 rooms. It was extensively renovated by Gerard Depardieu in 2003 and now features an extensive garden and a marvelous swimming pool, unequalled by any other building in the French capital.
The actor’s decision to move to Belgium was considered “pathetic” by Jean-Marc Ayrault, the Prime Minister of France. In turn, the reaction of the actor, responsive to Ayrault’s “description”, has quickly propelled him into the spotlight. In the letter which he sent he stated: “We no longer have the same country. I’m a true European, a citizen of the world.”
He further declared that his 2012 tax bill, which was 85 percent of his revenue, is fully paid, and that he has been working since the age of 14, formerly as a printer. During the last 45 years, the actor has reportedly paid a mind-boggling €145 million ($190 million) in taxes. Referring to the Prime Minister, Depardieu also mentioned: “I hand over my passport to you and my social security card, which I have never used.”
The 75% super-tax on the highest earners in the country, set by the President of France, Francois Hollande, is quite a sturdy reason for him to decide to move away from his “former” country. The actor, now aged 63, currently earns around €2 million per movie, and he’s also the proud owner of extensive business interests throughout France, including 3 restaurants in Paris and wine estates.
The listing price for the incredibly luxurious property has been set at €50 million (around $65 million).
[Real Estalker via Extravaganzi]
