Laurent Freixe: Former Nestle CEO Was Fired After He Was Caught by His Mistress Cheating With Junior in Swiss Hotel

Former Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe was reportedly fired after a senior executive, said to be his mistress, allegedly caught him at a Zurich hotel with another subordinate. She later filed a complaint through Nestlé’s anonymous whistleblower hotline, which sparked an internal investigation and ultimately led to his ouster, according to a bombshell report.

Freixe, 63, was fired from his job as Nestlé’s CEO on September 1 after less than a year in the role, after the company confirmed that he had violated its code of conduct by not disclosing a romantic relationship with someone who reported directly to him, which ultimately led to his termination, Swiss outlet Inside Paradeplatz reported.

Secret Affair Caught by Mistress

The new report suggests that the scandal ran even deeper. Freixe had already been involved with another subordinate — referred to as his “official” mistress — who allegedly caught him with a different lover in the act, according to Inside Paradeplatz.

That confrontation is said to have triggered a chain reaction inside Nestlé.

When Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke and vice chair Pablo Isla found out, they reportedly confronted Freixe face-to-face, humiliating him before telling him he was fired “effective immediately.”

The outlet claims they even demanded he hand over his phone and called him a “liar” on the spot.

Freixe’s so-called “main mistress” walked away with a severance package after filing her complaint, the report claims. Though her name hasn’t been revealed, she has since landed a senior role at another major company.

The other subordinate who was romantically involved with Freixe also left Nestlé. Her exit package was arranged directly by Freixe before his own firing — and it was reportedly a generous one, according to the outlet.

“Everything that needs to be said on the matter has been said, and I will not engage in further wild conjectures and speculation,” a company spokesperson told the site when asked for comment.

Dirty Affair

Nestlé confirmed that it fired Freixe, who had spent nearly 40 years at the company, for not disclosing a relationship with a direct report — a breach of its code of conduct. However, the company has not commented on the explosive claims about how the affair came to light.

Freixe, who received no severance despite his long tenure, later resurfaced on LinkedIn with a cheeky post: “I got my mobile back, I am reachable anytime.” He also congratulated his successor, Philipp Navratil — but accidentally spelled his name “Philippe,” according to the Swiss report.

Having been CEO for less than a year, his removal now stands as one of the swiftest downfalls in Nestlé’s history.

Chairman Paul Bulcke and other top leaders said that the decision was about protecting Nestlé’s values and ethics, noting that even the highest-ranking executives are held to the same standards as the company’s 270,000 employees.