José Yves Limantour

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José Yves Limantour Marquet (1854–1935) was a Mexican banker and politician who served as Secretary of Finance from May 8, 1893, to May 25, 1911, under President Porfirio Díaz. He was a leading member of the Científicos, a group of educated advisers who helped modernize Mexico.

Born in Mexico City to a French-Mexican family, Limantour studied economics and law, taught at schools, and wrote for a legal journal early in his career. As finance secretary, he helped strengthen the economy by establishing the gold standard, ending free coinage of silver, and making government coins the only legal tender. He arranged a debt refinancing with foreign banks in 1899 and achieved a budget surplus by 1894. His policies encouraged foreign investment and free trade, though rising food prices affected many Mexicans.

As the Díaz regime weakened, Limantour was seen as a potential successor. In 1911 he went to Europe to negotiate loans, and Díaz resigned and went into exile in Paris. Limantour later lived in France, maintaining ties with the Madero family. He died in Paris on August 26, 1935 and was buried in Montmartre Cemetery. He was honored in France as a member of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques and as a grand officer of the Legion of Honor.