Coelho and his wife Christina Oiticica split their time between Europe and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a Roman Catholic and although he attends Mass, he disagrees with the Pope on several issues, both political and social.
In 1996, Coelho founded the Paulo Coelho Institute, which provides aid to children and elderly people with financial problems. In September 2007, Coelho was named a Messenger of Peace to the United Nations.
- Member of the Board of the Shimon Peres Center for Peace
- UNESCO special counsellor for “Intercultural Dialogues and Spiritual Convergences”
- Board Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
- Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
- Member of INI International Advisory Council - HARVARD INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATION INITIATIVE
- Member of the Board, Doha Center of Media Freedom
- Advisory Board Member, Maybach Foundation
On May 9, 2006,in Sofia, Bulgaria, Paulo Coehlo was awarded by the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov the "The Honerable Award of the President of the Republic".