Walk to freedom: Rogue trader Jerome Kerviel leaves Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris . Rogue trader Jerome Kerviel, who cost his bank nearly €5billion (£4billion), has walked free from a French prison today - after serving just four months of a five-year jail term. The 37-year-old, who nearly brought Societe Generale - one of Europe's biggest banks - to its knees with wildly risky trades, was released from France's Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris. His first thought was for his mother, whom he said he 'couldn't wait' to call. 'I am super happy to leave today ... I want to rebuild my life. I want to have a normal life with my loved ones, start a family and finally be able to enjoy life,' Kerviel told reporters as he left the prison. Branded a crook by his ex-employer and a scapegoat by his apologists, Kerviel has insisted his bosses knew what he was doing and turned a blind eye to possible breaches of rules as long as the profits kept rolling in. Even as he racked up billions for the bank in its skyscraper in Paris's La Defense business district, Kerviel lived modestly in a small suburban flat and took the train to Brittany during the holidays to visit his widowed mother. 'I am an ordinary person. I am not crazy,' he said during investigations into the scandal after Societe Generale was driven to unwind €50billion of risky deals that it blames on him. 'I didn't earn millions and I didn't drive a Porsche,' said Kerviel, who was paid €50,000 a year plus tens of thousands more in bonuses when the scandal erupted in January 2008. 'Have you seen my apartment? Forty-five square metres (485 square feet), no masters' paintings. Ikea furniture,' he added. Some commentators have interpreted his big risk-taking as motivated by the desire to prove himself, a young man from a modest background, among the ranks of high-flying traders from elite schools. Societe Generale says he worked out how to circumvent complex risk-control mechanisms and its lawyer Jean Veil accused him of 'duplicity' in reassuring his employers that all was well. Kerviel joined Societe Generale in 2000 and, five years later, was promoted to the 'front office' to trade futures on European share indices - effectively betting on the direction of the stock market. Colleagues at the time described him as a quiet loner. Free after four months: The former trader, left, was greeted at the prison gates by his lawyer David Koubbi . The rogue trader spent 38 days in custody after his arrest in 2008 and later took up a job at a small IT company in a suburb of Paris. He said ahead of his initial trial that he hoped it would teach people the lessons of the global financial crisis. 'Respect for work, solidarity, honesty - I grew up with these notions. But when I became a trader, I lost part of these morals.' Call home: The trader, above, told reporters he 'couldn't wait' to speak to his mother after being released . He even visited Rome to highlight the 'tyranny of the markets', securing an audience with Pope Francis. Under the terms of his release, he must wear an electronic tagging bracelet that will track his movements and he has to be at home between the hours of 8:30pm and 7:00am. But the Paris appeals court, who authorised Kerviel's release, said the trader will have freedom of movement on weekends and during the day on weekdays. He has also been ordered to pay €4.9billion in damages - seen as an unlikely possibility.
Walks free from Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris wearing electronic tag .
Released four months into five-year  term for his part in massive  fraud .
Banker says the first thing he'll do when released is call his widowed mother .
Claimed his Paris-based bank welcomed trades as long as they made money .
Ordered to pay back the billions he lost - but is unlikely ever to do so .
Societe Generale was taken to the brink of collapse by banker's risky trades .
Walk to freedom: Rogue trader Jerome Kerviel leaves Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris . Rogue trader Jerome Kerviel, who cost his bank nearly €5billion (£4billion), has walked free from a French prison today - after serving just four months of a five-year jail term. The 37-year-old, who nearly brought Societe Generale - one of Europe's biggest banks - to its knees with wildly risky trades, was released from France's Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris. His first thought was for his mother, whom he said he 'couldn't wait' to call. 'I am super happy to leave today ... I want to rebuild my life. I want to have a normal life with my loved ones, start a family and finally be able to enjoy life,' Kerviel told reporters as he left the prison. Branded a crook by his ex-employer and a scapegoat by his apologists, Kerviel has insisted his bosses knew what he was doing and turned a blind eye to possible breaches of rules as long as the profits kept rolling in. Even as he racked up billions for the bank in its skyscraper in Paris's La Defense business district, Kerviel lived modestly in a small suburban flat and took the train to Brittany during the holidays to visit his widowed mother. 'I am an ordinary person. I am not crazy,' he said during investigations into the scandal after Societe Generale was driven to unwind €50billion of risky deals that it blames on him. 'I didn't earn millions and I didn't drive a Porsche,' said Kerviel, who was paid €50,000 a year plus tens of thousands more in bonuses when the scandal erupted in January 2008. 'Have you seen my apartment? Forty-five square metres (485 square feet), no masters' paintings. Ikea furniture,' he added. Some commentators have interpreted his big risk-taking as motivated by the desire to prove himself, a young man from a modest background, among the ranks of high-flying traders from elite schools. Societe Generale says he worked out how to circumvent complex risk-control mechanisms and its lawyer Jean Veil accused him of 'duplicity' in reassuring his employers that all was well. Kerviel joined Societe Generale in 2000 and, five years later, was promoted to the 'front office' to trade futures on European share indices - effectively betting on the direction of the stock market. Colleagues at the time described him as a quiet loner. Free after four months: The former trader, left, was greeted at the prison gates by his lawyer David Koubbi . The rogue trader spent 38 days in custody after his arrest in 2008 and later took up a job at a small IT company in a suburb of Paris. He said ahead of his initial trial that he hoped it would teach people the lessons of the global financial crisis. 'Respect for work, solidarity, honesty - I grew up with these notions. But when I became a trader, I lost part of these morals.' Call home: The trader, above, told reporters he 'couldn't wait' to speak to his mother after being released . He even visited Rome to highlight the 'tyranny of the markets', securing an audience with Pope Francis. Under the terms of his release, he must wear an electronic tagging bracelet that will track his movements and he has to be at home between the hours of 8:30pm and 7:00am. But the Paris appeals court, who authorised Kerviel's release, said the trader will have freedom of movement on weekends and during the day on weekdays. He has also been ordered to pay €4.9billion in damages - seen as an unlikely possibility.
€5billion (£4billion), has walked free from a months of a five-year jail term. The 37-year-old, risky trades, was released from France's Fleury-Merogis prison near Paris. His first up billions for the bank in its skyscraper in visit his widowed mother. 'I am an ordinary schools. Societe Generale says he worked out how ordered to pay €4.9billion in damages - seen as an unlikely possibility.