French entrepreneur, president of the P.B. Group who purchased and founded 16 companies between 1985-1991, until he went bankrupt owing 33 million French francs. He was a major right-wing “fixer” in the ’80s, enjoying the company of politicians and businessmen from 1983 to 1992, entertaining jet-set luminaries to whom he generously offered plane tickets and other goodies. Following front page stories in two influential newspapers, Botton was summoned to testify and arrested for corruption on 11/13/1992. When he was indicted, he testified that he always acted in agreement with his father-in-law, Michael Noir, and that his beneficiaries (among them, Patrick Poivre d’Arvor) did not know “where the money came from.” Botton had married Anne-Valerie Noir on 12/19/1987, and was closely aligned in business dealings with her father, Michael Noir.
Botton was released from temporary detention on 4/09/1993. On 4/20/1995, he was given a four years sentence with two years suspended for illegal campaign financing; he was also fined two million francs and banned from any business operations for five years.
On 12/25/1996 he was hospitalized for a prescription drug overdose. He was released on bail on 4/12/1997 and after endless procedures was denied a visa for the U.S. on 11/12/1999. In “Mes Chers Amis,” a book published in early months of 2000, Botton alleges that through intermediaries, Mr. Jacques Chirac sought financial favors and aid; backed by documents he goes into the details of the illegal transfers of money.
Link to Wikipedia biography (French)