Two senior figures from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee were questioned last month as part of a judicial investigation into suspected financial misconduct surrounding the awarding of public contracts.
Étienne Thobois, who served as chief executive of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee (COJOP) since 2018, and Édouard Donnelly, appointed executive director of operations in November 2024, were interviewed by authorities on 19 May as “free suspects” in the inquiry, a status that means they were questioned without being formally charged. A third individual, reportedly a former associate of Thobois, was also heard by investigators.
The investigation, led by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) and handled by the Central Office for Combating Corruption and Financial and Tax Offences (OCLCIFF), was first opened in 2017. It centres on contracts awarded by both COJOP and GIP 2024, the earlier bid committee that preceded the formal organising body. According to a judicial source, the alleged offences under examination include misappropriation of public funds, unlawful conflict of interest, favouritism and concealment of favouritism.
Both Thobois and Donnelly previously worked as service providers to the Olympic project before assuming senior posts within COJOP. Their appointments raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, particularly concerning contracts awarded to companies with which they had professional ties. One of those companies is Keneo, a sports consultancy co-founded by both men, which was searched by investigators in June 2023 as part of the broader inquiry. Although COJOP’s internal ethics committee reportedly found no significant conflict of interest in that case, Keneo remains under scrutiny.
Further concerns had also been raised regarding Donnelly’s links to a company named RNK. A 2022 activity report from COJOP’s ethics committee stated that Donnelly’s appointment had received a favourable opinion only on the condition that strict measures were observed to prevent him from taking part in any action involving RNK. A source close to the matter confirmed that RNK is not a target of the current investigation.
In June 2023, French authorities conducted searches not only at Keneo’s offices but also at the headquarters of COJOP and Solideo, the Olympic Delivery Authority responsible for infrastructure development. These operations were linked to both the 2017 investigation and a separate case opened in 2022 that also examines Olympic-related contracts.
Lawyers representing both Thobois and Donnelly have declined to comment. With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games having concluded last year, the investigation now shifts to accountability over how public resources were managed. The scrutiny surrounding the post-Games financial trail suggests that for organisers, the legacy of the Olympics may be shaped as much by legal outcomes as by sporting achievements.
