Paul Biya

Paul Biya, born on February 13, 1933, is a Cameroonian politician who has served as the President of Cameroon since 1982. He is one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world and ran for an eighth term in the presidential election in October 2025. 

Born Paul Barthélemy Biya’a bi Mvondo in Mvomeka’a, French Cameroon (now in the South Region of Cameroon), Biya is of the Beti ethnic group.

He attended seminary schools in Cameroon before pursuing his higher education in France. In France, he studied at Lycée Louis-le-Grand and the University of Paris Sorbonne, earning a higher education diploma in public law from the Institut des hautes études d’Outre-Mer in 1961.

Upon his return to Cameroon, Biya began a rapid ascent within the government under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. From 1968 to 1975, he served as Secretary-General of the Presidency. In 1975, he became Prime Minister.

When Ahidjo unexpectedly resigned in November 1982, Biya, as the constitutional successor, was sworn in as president on November 6, 1982.

After an initial period of harmony, tensions with Ahidjo led to Biya consolidating his power and eliminating his rivals after a staged coup attempt in 1984. He initially operated under a one-party system but, facing pressure, reintroduced a multiparty system in the early 1990s.

Biya has since been re-elected several times, including in 1992, 1997, 2004, 2011, and 2018. However, these elections have been marred by allegations of voting irregularities and fraud.

 In 1987, he published the political essay Communal Liberalism, advocating for economic liberalism while also promoting national solidarity and social justice.

Due to his age and infrequent public appearances, there is ongoing speculation about his health and the eventual succession. His public absences have occasionally fueled rumors of his death, which the government has denied.

 In July 2025, the 92-year-old Biya officially announced his candidacy for an eighth term in the October election.

As the election was approaching, concerns were raised among the public and the opposition about the country’s stability. Key allies withdrew from his coalition, and there was a lack of clear succession planning.

He married Jeanne-Irène Atyam in the early 1960s. She died in 1992. In 1994, he married Chantal Vigouroux, who is 36 years his junior. He has three children (Brenda, Junior), including his eldest son, Franck Biya.

Paul Biya’s Fortune: In 2009, ForeignPolicy.com estimated Paul Biya’s net worth at $200 million. However, some social media users have questioned this figure, with one commenter noting a much higher $500 million.

The OCCRP investigation conservatively estimated the hotel bill for one of Biya’s stays at the InterContinental at around $40,000 per day, based on room prices and entourage lists. This would amount to approximately $65 million for the 1,645 days of private trips documented by the OCCRP at that time, not including food, entertainment, or travel costs.

A 2009 BBC report detailed allegations that Biya and his delegation spent $40,000 per day on hotel rooms during a holiday in La Baule, southern France. At the time, Cameroon’s communications minister defended the president’s spending.

The OCCRP investigation also reported that flight costs alone for Biya’s private trips could total more than $117 million, bringing the total estimated travel costs to a very high figure.