SocGen, which operates a wealth management business, did not immediately reply to WealthBriefing’s enquiries about the matter.

“The repeated attacks against me personally in France for the past 15 months affect me, but most of all, they risk harming the bank and its 163,000 employees,” Mr Bouton said in a statement.

Société Générale, which last year was hit by a €4.9 billion ($6.5 billion) charge stemming from unauthorized bets by employee Jerome Kerviel, this week denied an article in the French daily newspaper Liberation that said the bank may post a loss of as much as €10 billion on risky investments by its alternative asset-management unit.

The newspaper said the unit’s troubles came at the same time as SocGen was dealing with the losses amassed by Mr Kerviel, saying it highlighted an environment that encouraged risk-taking by managers close to Mr Bouton.

Le Figaro, which earlier today reported Bouton’s resignation, said the executive won’t receive any payoff from the bank. The current separation of the roles of chairman and chief executive officer at the bank seems to be “well adapted to the economic crisis,” the paper quoted him as saying.

In his statement today, Bouton noted that he had offered to resign soon after the “Kerviel fraud,” a move turned down by the board. Mr Bouton was replaced as chief executive officer by Frederic Oudea, while keeping his position as chairman.