A trailblazer and visionary in the auto industry, Carlos Ghosn is also a highflyer prone to excesses that may have helped bring on his surprise downfall as head of the world's best-selling auto group. Ghosn turned around France's Renault SA...

The surprise arrest of Nissan's former chairman on charges of falsifying financial reports is providing a window into possible corporate intrigue at the Japanese automaker. Japanese media and some analysts have raised the possibility that the charges against Carlos Ghosn...