Matthieu Ricard
Religious Leader
Buddhist monk, writer and humanitarian who became known as one of the world's leading minds on the subject of happiness. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Happiness (2006), Why Meditate? (2010) and An Ode to Beauty (2016).
He received a PhD in molecular genetics from the Pasteur Institute. He later abandoned his scientific career to devote himself to Buddhism in the Himalayas.
He has been called "the happiest man in the world" by several media outlets due to the results of a 12-year brain study in which he participated.
He is the son of French philosopher Jean-François Revel and painter Yahne Le Toumelin.
He has served as the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama.