Surangel Whipps Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Surangel Whipps Jr.
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Whipps in 2025
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| 10th President of Palau | |
| Assumed office 21 January 2021 |
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| Vice President | Uduch Sengebau Senior Raynold Oilouch |
| Preceded by | Thomas Remengesau Jr. |
| Member of the Senate of Palau | |
| In office 2008–2016 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 August 1968 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Valerie Whipps
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 4 (3 daughters and 1 son) |
| Parents | Surangel S. Whipps (father) Marilyn C. Whipps (mother) |
| Relatives | Mason Whipps (brother) Thomas Remengesau Jr. (brother-in-law) Thomas Remengesau Sr. (father-in-law; deceased) |
| Education | Andrews University (BS) University of California Los Angeles (MBA) |
Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr. was born on August 9, 1968. He is a businessman and a politician from the country of Palau. Since 2021, he has been the President of Palau. Before becoming president, he was a senator from 2008 to 2016. He comes from the State of Ngatpang in Palau.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Surangel Whipps Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. His father, Surangel Whipps Sr., is Palauan, and his mother is from Maryland. This means he has both Palauan and American family roots.
He studied Business Administration and Economics at Andrews University. He also earned a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California, Los Angeles. Besides his political work, he runs a group of supermarkets in Palau.
In 2016, he ran for president against his brother-in-law, Thomas Remengesau Jr.. Remengesau Jr. won that election.
Family Life
Surangel Whipps Jr. married Valerie Esang Remengesau in 1999. They have four children together: three daughters and one son.
Becoming President of Palau
Whipps ran for president again in the 2020 Palauan presidential election. He won against Vice President Raynold Oilouch. During his campaign, he talked about changing tax rules and finding new ways for Palau to earn money.
After winning, he said in an interview that Palau would stand up more against actions like illegal fishing by the Chinese government. He also promised that Palau would continue to recognize Taiwan as a country. He also planned to give the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone in Palau, especially healthcare workers.
Key Actions as President
In 2021, President Whipps attended the COP26 meeting in Glasgow. This meeting was about climate change. He gave a strong speech, telling world leaders that Palau was "drowning" and needed their help to fight climate change.
In September 2022, he went to the state funeral for Japan's former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo. He was one of only a few world leaders who met with the Japanese Emperor Naruhito at this event.
In October 2022, President Whipps visited Taiwan for the second time as president. He was welcomed by President Tsai Ing-wen when he arrived.
President Whipps is also part of an advisory group for the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University. This group works to help new technologies grow in ways that support freedom.
In the 2024 Palauan general election, Whipps Jr. was re-elected for his second term as president. He won against former president Thomas Remengesau Jr.
In July 2024, he gave a speech at the International Seabed Authority Assembly in Jamaica. In his speech, he spoke against seabed mining, which is when minerals are dug up from the ocean floor.
See also
In Spanish: Surangel Whipps Jr. para niños
