Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Khan was released from New York's Rikers Island jail shortly before 4pm (20.00 GMT) today, a law enforcement official said.
The French politician, who is facing charges of an alleged sexual assault on a New York hotel maid, was released into the custody of a New York security firm with close ties to local prosecutors, the official said.
He originally was expected to be taken under guard to an apartment on New York's Upper East Side. But after the address leaked and the building was besieged by media, the official said, it was possible he might be moved to a "safe house" in downtown Manhattan.
The security firm the court approved to guard Mr Strauss-Kahn as part of his bail arrangement is not obliged to keep police informed of their client's location, the official said.
New York prosecutors earlier told New York Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus that an initial location for Mr Strauss-Kahn to be detained had fallen through. Mr Strauss-Kahn is facing charges he tried to rape a hotel maid.
Judge Obus earlier today received a $1 million cash bail and $5 million insurance bond from Strauss-Kahn's lawyers.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, who has spent the past four nights at New York's notorious Rikers Island jail, has denied charges of a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.
The man once seen as a possible next president of France denies the charges and has vowed to prove his innocence.
Meanwhile, European leaders raced today to nominate a successor for the former IMF chief before a G8 summit next week, with French economy minister Christine Lagarde in pole position.
As Europe rallied around Ms Lagarde as their most likely choice for the International Monetary Fund's top job, which has always gone to a European, the most widely tipped potential candidate from among emerging economies ruled himself out.
German chancellor Angela Merkel all but endorsed Ms Lagarde, telling a Berlin news conference: "Among the names mentioned for the IMF succession is French minister Christine Lagarde, whom I rate highly."
But diplomats said some European Union countries questioned whether the well-regarded corporate lawyer, who would be the first woman to head the IMF, could be anointed before a special court decides next month if she should be investigated in a French legal case.
Since Mr Strauss-Kahn resigned on Wednesday, EU governments have rushed to find a European replacement before emerging nations, which have long demanded a bigger say in running the Washington-based global lender, can mount a bid for the job.
Asian, Middle Eastern and African diplomats at the IMF headquarters in Washington said emerging nations were seeking a consensus candidate.
That task was made harder when former Turkish economy minister Kemal Dervis, seen as the front-runner among potential non-European contenders, ruled himself out.
"Speculation about succession at the IMF has included me in the group of persons with relevant experience. But I have not been, and will not be, a candidate," he said in a statement.
The New York Times reported that Mr Dervis had an affair with a subordinate when he was a senior World Bank executive. Asked to comment, his office at the Brookings Institution in Washington said he would have no further statement.
European and US officials want to move quickly to replace Mr Strauss-Kahn but they also risk angering developing economies if they are seen to do a backroom deal for Europe again.
"We are consulting broadly with the fund's shareholders from emerging markets, as well as advanced economies," said US treasury secretary Timothy Geither, stressing that the process should be open and move quickly.
"We are prepared to support a candidate with the requisite, deep experience and leadership qualities, and who can command broad support among the fund's membership."
The United States and European nations jointly hold more than half of the IMF's votes, giving them enough power to decide who leads it.
Diplomats said European Council president Herman van Rompuy, who chairs summits of the 27-nation EU, and European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso were trying to secure a deal on Ms Lagarde after the three biggest European powers - Germany, France and Britain - threw their weight behind her.
Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs euro zone finance ministers, and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi endorsed her yesterday.
"It has to be a quick decision. It would be best to have consensus before going to the G8," one diplomat said.
Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations - the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Britain and Italy, plus the European Union - meet in the French seaside resort of Deauville on May 26th and 27th.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, a global high-flier, spent the last of four nights at New York's notorious Rikers Island jail yesterday.
Once released, he would be taken to an undisclosed location where he would be safely and discreetly handed over to lawyers and, possibly, members of his family to avoid the media, said a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Correction.
He would also have unlimited access to his lawyers to prepare his defence.
Under his IMF contract, Strauss-Kahn is entitled to a one-off payment of $250,000 with annual pension payments "far, far less than that amount," the IMF said, dismissing media reports of a bigger package as "grossly over-estimated".
Europeans argue it is essential to keep global finance's top job with the IMF so immersed in helping euro zone states such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal with massive debts.
Some officials said the absence of Mr Strauss-Kahn's powers of persuasion contributed to disarray in Europe this week over whether Greece should restructure or "reprofile" its debt.
IMF official Ajai Chopra, following Mr Strauss-Kahn's line, said a more comprehensive approach to the euro zone debt crisis was urgently needed and the EU should do more to help Ireland regain access to debt markets.
The IMF board was due to hold a regular meeting today to approve its part of a €78 billion bailout for Portugal. It was unclear whether it would discuss the process for choosing a new managing director.