Why did Paul de Man flee Belgium for the United States in 1948?

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Paul de Man fled Belgium for the United States in 1948 primarily to escape legal prosecution for his financial misconduct. After the failure of his publishing house, Hermès, he was found to have misappropriated 1.45 million Belgian francs for personal expenses. Because his father was a silent partner in the business, his father was forced to report him to the police.

Facing two trials and an open warrant for his arrest, de Man fled to the United States using a visa obtained by his father. He was subsequently prosecuted in absentia by two courts in Antwerp, which found him guilty on 16 counts of fraud, forgery, swindling, and falsifying financial records, sentencing him to five years in prison.1