Former Adidas owner, French tycoon Bernard Tapie and his wife were tied up with electrical cords and severely beaten by robbers who broke into their estate.

The 78 year-old and wife Dominique 70, were sleeping in their home in Combs-la-Ville near Paris around 12:30 a.m. when four men broke in and tied them up, police said.

The suspects struck Tapie in the head with a club while his wife was injured from several blows to the face but managed to free herself and find safety at a neighbour’s home. She was later taken to the hospital after the robbery but Tapie did not want to be hospitalized.

The burglars demanded to know where the treasure was but there was no treasure, and the fact that they didn’t find one made the violence only worse.

The suspects ultimately made off with two watches, one of them a Rolex, as well as earrings, bracelets and a ring.

Bernard Tapie is a formerSocialist minister who came from humble beginnings but ultimately built a sporting and media empire before running into legal trouble.

He was the majority shareholder of the sportswear brand Adidas, as well as the owner of the football club Olympique de Marseille, who won the French championship during his ownership.

He also briefly served as the French minister for urban affairs for François Mitterrand’s government from 1992 to 1993.

Tapie was found guilty in various cases for corruption, tax fraud and misuse of corporate assets. He spent five months behind bars in 1997 and was prohibited from standing in any French election. 

Following his release, he had a stint at acting and hosting gigs on TV and radio.

In 2012, he became a media boss, taking over the southern French daily La Provence and other newspapers.

Now, he isfacing a criminal trial over a fraudulent 404 million-euro arbitration package linked to his sale of Adidas in the 1990s.