Bob Denar French military man and mercenary, participant in a number of armed conflicts in Africa and Asia. Country: France

Biography of Bob Denar

Bob Denar, a French military veteran and mercenary, is a mysterious figure who has been involved in numerous armed conflicts in Africa and Asia. His life story has been portrayed in the bestselling book "The Last Pirate" by journalist Samantha Weinberg, and there are plans to make a Hollywood film based on his adventures. Denar first arrived in Africa in 1960 and only left in 1995. He has been credited with orchestrating around ten coups d'état, fighting in countries such as Congo, Nigeria, and Angola.

In 1975, Denar attempted a coup in Benin, along with a group of accomplices, by seizing the country's main airport. Three years later, his team of fifty mercenaries landed on the Comoros Islands, overthrowing the socialist government of Ali Soilih and installing Ahmed Abdallah as president. Denar became the chief of the presidential guard, converted to Islam (taking the name Mustafa), and married a local woman. However, his carefree life came to an end when President Abdallah was killed in a shootout between his bodyguards. Forced to leave the islands, Denar returned in 1995 with a new squad of 36 mercenaries and arrested another dictator in his bed in Comoros. However, when French commandos landed on the islands to protect the local government, the 66-year-old "king of mercenaries" had to surrender.

After surviving two trials, Denar emerged unscathed. As the world's most famous mercenary, he holds the rank of retired colonel and leads an association of former "soldiers of fortune" called "Peace is Our Country." He currently resides near Paris in a small, worn-out house covered in peeling white paint. Despite rumors of his wealth, Denar's pension is not enough, and one of his daughters, who lives with him, has to work night shifts to make ends meet. He dismisses the claims of being paid $20,000 per hour for orchestrating coups in African countries as pure fiction, stating that if that were true, he would be living in a marble palace.

Inside Denar's study, there is a list titled "Children of Robert Denar (legitimate)" pinned to the wall. The list includes eight names, with the first child born in 1955 in Morocco and the last in 1995 in South Africa. Denar jokes that he traveled the world, and wherever he stayed, children would appear. The list includes Belgium, the French cities of Marseille and Boulogne, and Morocco. Only two daughters, Hamza and Kafna, were born in the capital of the Comoros Islands, Moroni.

Denar leads me upstairs, where the walls are adorned with his medals, honors, and patches from the uniforms of various armies he served in throughout his military career. He even has caricatures of himself. Denar explains that he believes a person should be able to laugh at themselves. On the second floor, there are Chinese porcelain figurines and a samurai sword, inherited from his father, who was a French army officer stationed in China.

Above the couch, there is a red beret of the French paratroopers encased in glass. In the center of the beret, there is a hole with singed edges. When asked if it belongs to him, Denar takes my hand and places it on his head, revealing a quarter-inch indentation on his scalp. He explains that it's the bullet he received in the Congo, which doctors believed would be fatal. He also shows me the scars on his hand from an explosion in Indochina when he served in the naval forces. He estimates that he has been hit by about a dozen bullets throughout his life.

At 72 years old, Denar may limp, but his perfectly tailored suit cannot hide his military bearing. He is a man of exceptional intelligence and plays the role he has created for himself: an old retired colonel who tends to his roses in a cozy courtyard. However, when addressed as "mon colonel" (my colonel) by his former comrades, his tired eyes come alive, and he straightens up. Denar admits that he cannot imagine a peaceful existence and is addicted to the adrenaline that comes with warfare.

In the basement, there is a special room filled with dozens of iron boxes labeled with names like "Comoros Islands," "Congo," and "Benin." Denar's passion is collecting archival documents from his various expeditions. The boxes contain potentially compromising information about African and French politicians, classified documents marked "top secret," and state secrets known only to him.

As I bid farewell, Bob Denar opens the creaky gate. I ask him honestly if he could still orchestrate a coup if necessary. He raises an eyebrow, and a smirk appears on his lips. "Well, Mr. Journalist, let me first ask you - do you have an offer? If you do, then let's discuss it."