During her time as First Lady of Tunisia, she is believed to have enriched herself and her family through gross corruption and embezzlement of state money to finance a lavish lifestyle,[4] factors that contributed to the protests against the regime of Ben Ali at the end of 2010.

A "hard hitting" 2009 book by French journalists Nicholas Beau and Catherine Graciet traced her rise from the daughter of a dried fruit seller to First Lady.

[7] She then had an affair with industrial magnate, Farid Mokhtar, a friend of the Prime Minister who introduced her to the highest levels of Tunisian society.

[citation needed] Under her leadership the association has provided micro-finance loans, secured employment for many and opened a center for the disabled in October 2010.

[9] The center provided technical training in a number of fields including computer science, embroidery, carpentry, theater and music.

[8] Two French authors wrote an extensive book titled "La regente de Carthage" detailing the corruption of Leïla, her family and in-laws.

[16] According to the French newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique, Leïla Ben Ali symbolizes the "greed" of the presidential family.

[17] A leaked American diplomatic cable described how Ambassador Robert F. Godec often heard "barbs about their lack of education, low social status and conspicuous consumption."