British tycoon's bid to close 'smelly' chip stand near his flat Mr Owen-Jones, who I have never met, comes here for a month a year while I am working through the whole winter season. I feel angry and persecuted. These people think all their money means they can crush us peasants of Savoie, but we fought back. She said she told the former cosmetics chief she could buy her out for 500,000 euros, but he was only willing to pay a tenth of the price for the stand. I told him no thanks. Local newspaper le Dauphine Libere was inundated with messages of support for Mrs Maertens. One reader wrote: "The era of lords and peasants chased away with a wave of the hand is over." Another said: "Even when he's on holiday, he's trying to fleece the workers." "Why doesn't he just buy the whole mountain?" asked a third. The French are notoriously wary of high-earning boss figures. François Hollande, the Socialist presidential candidate, has seen his popularity rocket ever since pledging to "tax the rich" and big business and declare war on "finance." Sir Lindsay started working for L'Oréal as a sales assistant in 1969 selling shampoo and was appointed CEO of the group in 1988, at the age of 42. Credited with transforming L'Oreal's fortunes by launching the highly successful Studio Line range of hair products, he was paid handsomely for the feat, receiving a 100 million-euro "gift" from the group's heiress, Liliane Bettencourt. By the time he retired in 2006, he was earning an estimated salary of £20 million a year and received 360 million euros in stock options. Capital magazine said he receives the highest pension in France - 3.3 million euros per year. He currently holds the title of L'Oréal's "honorary president." A court in Albertville is due to rule on the chip stand later this month. Sir Lindsay's French lawyer has declined to comment on the case.