Investigators are examining whether the decision to pay the astronomical sum was deliberately rigged in Mr Tapie's favour. For decades, he had fought the French state through the courts, alleging that the formerly state-owned bank Crédit Lyonnais had swindled him while handling his company's sale of the sports brand, Adidas. But Mr Sarkozy's government decided to end the court battle and opt instead for private arbitration in 2008.