The King has always had a taste for the far-off. Since the beginning of his reign, he has traveled, bringing his court and friends with him. His movements are so secret that collaborators reportedly join him using "real fake" passports.
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Mohammed VI, a King’s Secrets: His Parisian Stays, His Feud with Emmanuel Macron, and His Private Life
Exclusive excerpts. Journalist Thierry Oberlé pens « Mohammed VI, the Mystery, » a sprawling investigation into the disconcerting King of Morocco. L’Express publishes the highlights.
Nearly twenty-seven years into his reign, the fog remains as thick as ever. Is Mohammed VI the « King of the Poor » or a lazy head of state? A progressive monarch or an authoritarian autocrat? Does he govern himself via « telework » or is he a puppet of his advisors? In Mohammed VI, the Mystery (Flammarion), an exceptional investigation published this January 14, journalist Thierry Oberlé sets out to dissipate the mist surrounding the Moroccan King. He reveals that « M6, » as Moroccans call him, suffers from a chronic illness—a highly disabling and likely incurable condition. Added to this is a more psychological affliction: an eternal temptation for « elsewhere » that drives him to regularly flee his country’s borders, sometimes for more than six months a year, with a particular fondness for Parisian stays despite his execrable relations with Emmanuel Macron.
This book also immerses us in the world of the « Makhzen »—as the King’s court in Rabat is known—a universe of betrayal and falls from grace. Floating within it for several years are the Azaitar brothers, boxers originally from Germany, whose links to organized crime Oberlé traces. Throughout a dense chapter, the author breaks another taboo: the royal complacency, or even complicity, through which drug trafficking prospers from the Moroccan Rif region, eventually representing 80% of the cannabis sold in France. Despite these « baroque » habits, Mohammed VI sometimes commands, and the machinery executes. He has achieved spectacular successes: defying the principles of international law, the Kingdom secured UN endorsement of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in November 2025. Despite appearances, the son has succeeded where his formidable father, Hassan II, always failed.
The « Teleworking » King
The King has always had a taste for the far-off. Since the beginning of his reign, he has traveled, bringing his court and friends with him. His movements are so secret that collaborators reportedly join him using « real fake » passports. « Does Mohammed VI… have the right to be absent so often and for so long without even announcing the date and duration of his trip? » asked Moroccan journalist Ali Anouzla in a 2013 editorial. Was it this question that earned him a brief stay in prison and the closure of his newspaper? From 2015, this travel trend intensified. In 2017 and 2018, Mohammed VI spent more than half his time away from his country.
« The King is a hedonist, » confides one of his loyalists, « he loves the pleasures of existence. » Does this mean he is unstudious? Opinions diverge. An early adopter of telework, he reportedly governs daily via telephone. In 2018, a near-sabbatical year, he was absent almost all year. His collaborators, however, insist on his involvement in major files and his intellectual acuity, noting his « pointidious patience » for both primary and secondary subjects.
The Secret of His Fortune
A decade ago, Forbes ranked Mohammed VI as the fifth-richest person in Africa. The redeployment of the sovereign’s assets since the start of his reign allowed his fortune to grow massively. In 2014, it was estimated at $2.5 billion; by 2015, it had more than doubled to $5.7 billion. Since then, the royal holding company, SNI (now Al Mada), has exited the Casablanca Stock Exchange and is no longer required to make its results public. Despite a lack of transparency, the fortune of Mohammed VI is estimated to potentially exceed $10 billion today, thanks to dividends and real estate investments.
The Drug Taboo
Regarding drug trafficking, the Makhzen’s position is to « not disturb existing networks while controlling their evolution. » The book explains that managing the « kif » (cannabis) economy is a sensitive matter under the authority of the Royal Palace. Oberlé recounts the story of activist Chakib Al Khayari, who was imprisoned for three years after « breaking a taboo » by claiming that drug barons had found their place in Parliament and that high-level complicity existed within state institutions.
Parisian Refuge
When on a private trip, Mohammed VI disappears from the radar, often in Paris. In 2022, he spent nearly four uninterrupted months in France, despite his clashes with Emmanuel Macron. These stays bring him closer to his sisters, Lalla Meryem and Lalla Hasna, also adopted Parisians. He is the owner of a private mansion near the Eiffel Tower, acquired during the COVID period for 80 million euros—an investment he reportedly intends for his son, who, unlike his father, does not share a particular attraction for the « City of Light. »
The Feud with Macron
Emmanuel Macron is furious. His anger toward the King has not subsided since learning that one of his personal smartphones was allegedly targeted by the Israeli spy software Pegasus. Morocco is suspected of being the client behind this mass surveillance, which targeted French political figures, Moroccan opponents, and even members of the royal family.
The President called Mohammed VI. The conversation was brief and tense. Macron asked the King if the Kingdom had spied on him. Mohammed VI was categorical: he never did, and gave his word. « I don’t believe you! » replied the French President icily. The call ended there. According to writer Tahar Ben Jelloun, « Macron was very, very clumsy. He lacked respect for the King. » Today, the relationship is marked by indifference; a special advisor to Macron notes that the President « doesn’t calculate the King » and once exasperatedly asked in a meeting: « What is it with this guy? »
Source : L’Express, 01/13/2026
