MoneyINC Logo
25+
Years of
Trust
13,000+
Articles
Written 
10M+
Annual 
Readers
300+
Global
Mentions

The 10 Richest People in Brazil

Jorge Lemann

Brazil has one of the strongest economies in Latin America. It's also got one of the highest numbers of the ultra-rich. By the latest reckoning, it has 33 billionaires and more millionaires than you can count. Most are self-made men and women who've spent their lives grafting for every cent. A select few were born with silver spoons and trust funds. To find out which Brazillian is the very richest, keep reading as we count down the 10 richest people in Brazil.

10. Luis Frias - Net Worth: $4.6 billion

Kicking things off is Luis Frias, a Brazillian businessman with a net worth of $4.6 billion. As per MillionaireFinder.com, Frias began his career at Grupo Folha, a Brazilian media conglomerate founded by his late father Octávio Frias in the 1960s. After spending a decade in various management roles, Frias assumed the position of CEO in 1989 and the position of chairman in 1991. In addition to his activities with Grupo Folha, he's also founded the internet company UOL and its subsidiary PagSeguro Digital, at which he currently serves as chairperson.

9. Luiza Helena Trajano - Net Worth: $5.3 billion

With a net worth of $5.3 billion, Luiza Helena Trajano ranks as Brazil's second richest woman and its 9th richest person. After graduating with a law degree from Faculdade de Direito de Franca, she went to work at her parents' retail store, Magazine Luiza. After working her way up from sales to management, she eventually became the director-superintendent in 1991. Under her stewardship, the company has grown astronomically, expanding from a single store to a chain of over 1000 serving over 18 million clients.

8. Alceu Elias Feldmann - Net Worth: $5.4 billion

Up next is Alceu Elias Feldmann, a Brazilian businessman who made his $5.4 billion fortune as the founder of the Brazilian fertilizer giant Fertipar. Since the company was founded in 1980, its fortunes (and in turn Feldmann's) have continued along an almost permanent upward trajectory. It now has a 15 percent share of the Brazillian fertilizer market. Feldmann, who owns 85% of the company, serves as its chairman and CEO.

7. Dulce Pugliese de Godoy Bueno - Net Worth: $6 billion

Together with her husband Edson de Godoy Bueno, Dulce Pugliese de Godoy Bueno founded the health insurance and medical firm Amil. When the couple divorced, Dulce retained her 33% stake in the company. After its IPO in 2007, Amil grew to become the largest health care company in Latin America, promoting external interest which eventually culminated in 90% of the business being acquired by US health insurer United Health Group for $4.9 billion. Dulce also owns a 48% stake in Das, a chain of medical laboratories at which her stepson, Pedro Bueno, serves as CEO.

6. Alex Behring - Net Worth: $7 billion

According to Wikipedia, Alex Behring ranks as the 6th richest person in Brazil with a net worth of $7 billion. In 1989, he co-founded the technology company Modus OSI Technologies, at which he remained a partner until 1993. After that, he moved to GP Investimentos, where he served as partner from 1994 to 2004. Between 1988 and 2004, he also headed up the private sector railroad company América Latina Logística. These days, the bulk of his wealth comes from his position as founding managing partner of the global investment firm 3G, chairman of Restaurant Brands International, and chairman of Kraft Heinz.

5. Carlos Alberto Sicupira - Net Worth: $8.7 billion

According to Forbes, most of Carlos Alberto Sicupira's $8.7 billion net worth is derived from his shares in Anheuser-Busch InBev, in which he owns about a 3% stake. His fellow shareholders in the brewer are Jorge Paulo Lemann and Marcel Herrmann Telles, both of whom are billionaires (albeit ones with ever so slightly more in the bank than Sicupira). He's also a partner in the private equity firm 3G Capital which, along with Berkshire Hathaway, acquired H.J. Heinz & Company in 2013.

4. Jorge Moll Filho - Net Worth: $11.3 billion

Doctors might make a comfortable living, but it's not often you meet one that's worth billions. Then again, it's not often you meet one like Jorge Neval Moll Filho, a cardiologist and entrepreneur who started on the road to riches when he founded Rede D'Or in 1977 and who now owns more than 30 hospitals across the country. The good doctor is today worth an estimated $11.3 billion.

3. Marcel Herrmann Telles - Net Worth: $11.5 billion

Marcel Herrmann Telles began his career in banking, serving as a partner of Garantia Merchant Bank from 1974 until 1998. He also served as a partner of the Brazilian private equity firm GP Investimentos until 2004, and as CEO of Brahma from 1989 to 1999. These days, he's sitting pretty on a fortune of $11.5 billion thanks to his status as a shareholder in both Anheuser-Busch InBev and Restaurant Brands International.

2. Eduardo Saverin - Net Worth: $14.6 billion

Eduardo Saverin was born in São Paulo, Brazil but later relocated to the US after winning a place at Harvard. It was there that he met fellow undergrad, Mark Zuckerberg. What happened next is social media history, but suffice to say, Saverin turned a pretty buck from the relationship. The pair's friendship turned sour in the 2010s, and Saverin left Facebook under a black cloud and with 53 million shares (which at the time were worth around $2 billion but have since increased exponentially in value) in his pocket. These days, he makes his money through his venture capital firm, B Capital. As of 2021, he's worth $14.6 billion.

1. Jorge Paulo Lemann - Net Worth: $16.8 billion

Up until 2020, Jorge Paulo Lemann had sat at the top of Brazil's rich list for 8 years. Then banker Joseph Safra came along and stole his crown. This year, Lemann's back at No.1 following Safra's death in December 2020. Lemann made his first fortune in investment banking, but now rakes in the cash as controlling shareholder of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer. He, along with his fellow billionaire business partners, Carlos Sicupira and Marcel Herrmann Telles, also owns stakes in Burger King's parent company, Restaurant Brands International. A notoriously private individual who rarely gives interviews, Lemann is today worth the grand sum of $16.8 billion.

Allen Lee

Written by Allen Lee

Allen Lee is a Toronto-based freelance writer who studied business in school but has since turned to other pursuits. He spends more time than is perhaps wise with his eyes fixed on a screen either reading history books, keeping up with international news, or playing the latest releases on the Steam platform, which serve as the subject matter for much of his writing output. Currently, Lee is practicing the smidgen of Chinese that he picked up while visiting the Chinese mainland in hopes of someday being able to read certain historical texts in their original language.

Read more posts by Allen Lee

Related Articles

Stay ahead of the curve with our most recent guides and articles on , freshly curated by our diligent editorial team for your immediate perusal.
As featured on:

Wealth Insight!
Subscribe to our Exclusive Newsletter

Dive into the world of wealth and extravagance with Money Inc! Discover stock tips, businesses, luxury items, and travel experiences curated for the affluent observer.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram