1949: Born in Neuilly, west of Paris, on April 25

1955: Moves with family to Agadir, Morocco

1960: Family quits Agadir for Monaco after quake kills 30,000

1967: Marries Helene Dumas, first of three wives

1971: Obtains diploma from HEC, elite third-level school

1973: Fails at ENA elite civil service academy; enters CNRS state research institute as economics researcher

1975: Receives economics doctorate

1977: Joins Socialist Party, continues as economics professor

1986: Elected to National Assembly as representative for Haute Savoie; Marries communications entrepreneur Brigitte Guillemette

1991: First government post as industry minister; marries star TV journalist Anne Sinclair, current spouse

1993: Loses parliament seat, sets up industry lobby

1995: Elected mayor of "melting pot" Sarcelles, north of Paris

1997: Wins back parliamentary seat, as representative for Val-d'Oise; named finance minister

1999: Resigns as finance minister, engulfed by suspicion surrounding his dealings with Socialist-linked student health insurer MNEF; later acquitted

2007: Becomes managing director of IMF for five-year term, on a salary of $420,930 per year, and additional "allowance" of $75,350