Eduard Albert "Billy" Meier was born on 3 February 1937 in the Zurich lowlands town of Bülach, Switzerland.1 He left formal schooling before completing sixth grade and accumulated several minor convictions in his teens, including theft and forgery. In the early 1950s Meier briefly joined the French Foreign Legion but deserted, hitch-hiking back to Europe and spending subsequent years travelling through the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. During this period he educated himself voraciously in comparative religion and metaphysics, supported by casual labour and odd jobs.2
A serious bus accident in Turkey in 1965 cost him his left arm below the elbow. After convalescence he returned to Switzerland, married Greek national Kalliope Zafiriou in 1966 and fathered three children (a fourth child from an earlier relationship was later acknowledged). Friends say the nickname "Billy" was bestowed by an American acquaintance who thought Meier's cowboy attire resembled Billy the Kid.1
Claimed Extraterrestrial Contacts
Meier states his first encounter with an extraterrestrial occurred at age five when a Plejaren elder named Sfath telepathically summoned him (1942). A second guide, Asket from the DAL universe, purportedly tutored him between 1953–1964. After a hiatus, contacts resumed on 28 January 1975 with Semjase, Sfath's granddaughter, joined later by Ptaah and Quetzal. Meier says the Plejaren granted permission to photograph their beamships and to publish hundreds of pages of so-called Contact Reports conveying galactic history and "spiritual teaching".13
Foundation of FIGU and Writings
In the late 1970s Meier and supporters established the non-profit FIGU (Free Community of Interests for Border and Spiritual Sciences and Ufological Studies) at the Semjase Silver Star Center near Schmidrüti, Switzerland. The group publishes the ongoing Plejadisch-Plejarische Kontaktberichte (now over 800 dialogues), as well as didactic works such as Goblet of Truth, Talmud Jmmanuel and Introduction to Meditation. FIGU sells books in German and English and maintains worldwide study circles.4
Photographs, Films and Other Evidence
Between 1964 and 1982 Meier shot more than 1 000 daylight photographs, multiple 8 mm film reels, audio recordings of alleged beamship sounds and even metal samples, claiming Plejaren cooperation. Supporters like the late Col. Wendelle Stevens and investigator Gary Kinder argued the images defy simple hoaxing, citing photographic analyses performed in the U.S.5 Sotheby's auctioned a set of Meier's prints in 2019 that included the frame later used on The X-Files "I Want to Believe" poster.6
Criticism and Skeptical Investigations
Mainstream scientists and most ufologists consider the Meier case a fabrication. Analyses by Kal Korff, Joe Nickell, photographer Michael Schratt and others highlight model-making artifacts, forced-perspective tricks and even visible suspension eye-screws.78 Meier's ex-wife Kalliope told interviewers in 1997 that many iconic shots were small models built from household items. Audio engineers likewise found that cassette equipment available in 1980 could not have captured the ultrasonic frequencies FIGU claimed for the beamship recordings.9
Legacy and Popular Culture
Regardless of authenticity, Meier's story has left a lasting mark on UFO lore. FIGU remains active, publishing newsletters, running the Schmidrüti center and hosting international visitors. Skeptics cite the case as a cautionary tale of extraordinary claims, while enthusiasts view it as the most thoroughly documented contactee narrative. Meier's photographs inspired posters, documentaries such as Contact (1987) and an upcoming feature announced by Variety in 2025.6
Selected Timeline
References
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https://www.figu.org/ch/figu_eng/billy-meier/kurzbiography (FIGU official short biography – German with English summary) ↩