Once hailed as a financial lifeline for a struggling publishing house, the 2022 acquisition of Éditions Jalou by Chinese financial group AMTD is now at the centre of a legal and criminal investigation that could threaten the future of one of fashion’s luxury titles.
French authorities have confirmed that an investigation into suspected large-scale fraud is underway following a complaint lodged by the Jalou family, founders of the publishing house behind L’Officiel. The complaint was formally filed on 5 March 2025 and the case has been assigned to the financial investigations unit of the Paris judicial police. What began as a corporate rescue has since evolved into a multi-jurisdictional dispute spanning Europe, Asia and offshore financial centres.
At the heart of the legal action is the allegation that AMTD Group — alongside its subsidiaries including AMTD Digital and The Generation Essentials Group — prioritised financial engineering over responsible stewardship. The Jalou family is seeking at least EUR 40 million in damages to creditors and accuses the group of stripping assets from the century-old fashion institution while it remained under court supervision.
From Rescue to Receivership Fallout
Founded in 1921, Éditions Jalou was long regarded as a cornerstone of French fashion publishing, overseeing titles such as “L’Officiel de la mode”, “Jalouse” and “L’Optimum”. The group also previously owned “The Art Newspaper” — another internationally influential cultural title — before both assets were sold to AMTD. Its decline began in the mid-2010s following a costly legal dispute in Russia, culminating in the company being placed into receivership in 2022.
AMTD — a Hong Kong-based conglomerate with a diverse portfolio spanning across digital solutions, media, entertainment and hospitality — presented itself as something of a “white knight” capable of stabilising the business. The acquisition was accompanied by high-profile gestures designed to signal revival, including a special edition unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos and a fashion show staged at the New York Stock Exchange. However behind the spectacle, the relationship between buyer and seller was already fraying. According to legal filings reviewed by French authorities, the Jalou family alleges that the takeover masked a “predatory” operation aimed at hollowing out the French entity rather than rebuilding it.
Allegations of Fraud, Trademark Abuse and Missing Assets
The complaint accuses AMTD of counterfeiting, tax fraud, trademark infringement and misuse of company assets. Central to the case are claims that a series of opaque financial structures spanning Paris, New York, Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands were used to divert value away from Éditions Jalou.
One key allegation concerns the unlawful registration of the “L’Officiel” trademark i
Read more from original article, all rights reserved L’Officiel’s Chinese Takeover Unravels Into a Global Legal Battle
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