He is married to Clara Gaymard, CEO of General Electric in France[1] (and VP of GE International), the daughter of geneticist and anti-abortion activist Jérôme Lejeune.

[2] A Catholic, he is the father of nine children: Philothée, Bérénice, Thaïs, Marie-Lou, Amédée, Eulalie, Faustine, Jérôme-Aristide, Angélico.

The duplex apartment, located in the exclusive "Golden Triangle" neighbourhood off Paris' Champs-Élysées, reportedly had an area of 600 m2 (6460 sq ft) and cost the state a monthly rental of €14,000.

While Gaymard's actions were not illegal, the exposure of Gaymard's accepting lavish, state-funded perks, then attempting to lie in interviews, was bad news for the government at a time when the French public was asked to accept more economic sacrifices while reeling from a staggering unemployment rate that reached 10% in January, the highest level in over five years.

In his issued statement, he said, "I am aware that I committed blunders and, above all, a serious error of judgement…" Following this scandal, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin tightened up the rules for public officials using state-funded apartments.