Sarkozy’s $436,000 shower

France’s National Audit Office has slammed President Nicolas Sarkozy for his spendthrift ways—including $436,000 for a personal shower he never even used. The country spent $279 million during Sarkozy’s six month stint as head of the European Union, and it seems the staggering bill was vastly inflated by the little man’s imperial pretensions. For one three-day event, he sanctioned an elaborate upgrade of the Grand Palace in Paris for an EU-Mediterranean summit, requiring hundreds of workmen and millions of dollars. Nearly $330,000 was spent building a podium, and $220,000 on upgrading the gardens. But the shower, built to Sarkozy’s specifications was the real doozy. He chose to go back to his residence, the Élysée palace during the summit to freshen up. The shower has since been dismantled.

The Guardian