“He will have to sort out his luxury car stories”: Daniel Riolo reacts to the announcement of Teddy Riner’s presidential candidacy

Monday November 8, Teddy Riner announced his candidacy for the presidential election. News that has not convinced all French people. Among them, Daniel Riolo.

Barely an hour after the announcement of the five-time Olympic judo champion, the journalist spoke in “Estelle midi” on RMC and RMC Story.

“I would like to take advantage of the time I have here with you to also announce my candidacy for the presidential election,” he first quipped.

“Finally, I tell myself that this encourages me to take a further step. I think there is no reason. Because in fact, just now, I saw the list of candidates, there are 36 of them. Frankly, I think there are more than half of them who are no better known than me. So I really have every chance,” he added.

To his left, Estelle Denis wanted to remind him that it is not the number of followers on social networks that elects a president.

“It’s 2026, I think that matters in this day and age. I think I will have you as my first support and I think that already, it will make a little noise,” he continued before regaining his seriousness.

“There are no more limits,” said Daniel Riolo. Known for his rants, the journalist wanted to recall a recent fact surrounding the new candidate.

“You know Teddy Riner was in the news a week ago, right? Did you miss that?” he asked. In the absence of a response, he ended up answering his question himself:

“He lost on appeal, he was condemned by the tax authorities. For a candidate for the presidential election, he will have to sort out his luxury car stories first. Did you miss this information? He was convicted on appeal, so he already has a little problem with the tax authorities.”

Indeed, on October 15 (the information was only revealed a week ago), the administrative court of appeal of Versailles confirmed the tax authorities in a recovery linked to the judoka and his luxury car rental company, in dispute with the Bercy services which had criticized the personal use of certain vehicles.

At the end of 2025, the media L'Informé revealed that Teddy Riner had contested before the administrative court of Cergy Pontoise - without winning his case - a tax adjustment imposed in 2019 (for 2016 and 2017) and linked to the luxury car rental company he owns.

The tax administration pointed out the fact that Teddy Riner was the “exclusive driver” of two of these vehicles, a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce, and considered that the charges for these cars constituted a benefit in kind attributed by the company to the judoka, “on the grounds that they were not incurred as part of the rental activity” of the company “but constituted hidden remuneration and benefits for Teddy Riner”.

“We have absolutely no limit on the list,” repeated Daniel Riolo. I am willing, as he says, he is not from the inner circle, he is not from this or that, after all, Trump was elected, Zelensky, it was the same, he came from the entertainment world. We know the list, we make it each time there is a slightly different character who presents himself. So let him do it. Now everyone will be free to think that it is serious or not,” he added.

In conclusion, the journalist assured not to look down on the judoka but wished to point out: “Generally, when you run for office, it is better not to have a file and a conviction in court beforehand. He is. We will discover his program and we will see.”