Lemann loses position as Brazil’s biggest billionaire to Vicky Safra, says Forbes

For the first time, Vicky Safra, 70, and her four children occupy the top of the list of Brazilian billionaires, released by Forbes on Tuesday (4).

The fortune they inherited from banker Joseph Safra, who died in 2020, rose from US$7.4 billion to US$16.7 billion, according to the magazine.

Previously, the list was headed by Jorge Paulo Lemann, founder of 3G Capital, the investment fund behind the world’s largest brewer AB InBev and food maker Kraft Heinz.

Forbes estimates Lemann’s wealth at US$15.8 billion, up from US$15.4 billion last year.

The other partners of the 3G fund are Marcel Herrmann Telles (US$10.6 billion), Carlos Alberto Sicupira (US$8.6 billion), and Alexandre Behring (US$5.2 billion), who appear, respectively, in the third, fifth, and sixth positions in the Forbes ranking.

Lemann, Telles, and Sicupira are key shareholders of Lojas Americanas, which is facing a crisis after the revelation of a billionaire cash hole.

The case led Americanas to go into receivership.

Fourth on the list is the Brazilian founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin, with an estimated net worth of US$10.2 billion.

Forbes says it calculates the fortunes of billionaires based on stock prices and currency exchange rates.

The current list is based on March 10.

“Some people get richer or poorer within days of publication,” the publication explains.

THE TEN RICHEST PEOPLE IN BRAZIL

The magazine identified 51 Brazilian billionaires among 2,640 people with over US$1 billion fortunes worldwide.

Vicky Safra is ranked 100th on the global list, and Lemann 108th.

Top 10 billionaires in the country:

1. Vicky Safra and family: US$16.7 billion
2. Jorge Paulo Lemann and family: US$15.8 billion
3. Marcel Herrmann Telles: US$10.6 billion
4. Eduardo Saverin: US$10.2 billion
5. Carlos Alberto Sicupira: US$8.6 billion
6. Alexandre Behring: US$5.2 billion
7. André Esteves: US$4.7 billion
8. João Moreira Salles: US$4.1 billion
9. Walther Moreira Salles Junior: US$4.1 billion
10. Jorge Moll Filho and family: US$3.9 billion

The world’s billionaires have a combined net worth of US$12.2 trillion, a US$500 billion drop from what was recorded in 2022 (US$12.7 trillion).

Americans lead in the number of billionaires, with 735 list members.

The Chinese come in second, with 522 representatives, followed by India, with 169.

The chief executive of luxury goods holding company LVMH, Bernard Arnault, with a fortune of US$211 billion, has unseated Elon Musk, of Tesla and Twitter, from the position of the richest person in the world.

The conglomerate is behind the Louis Vuitton and Moët et Chandon brands.

It is the first time a Frenchman has taken the top spot.

Musk’s net worth has fallen from US$219 billion to US$180 billion after he purchased Twitter for above market value and the fallout from social media scandals devaluing Tesla’s shares.

THE TEN RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

1. Barnard Arnault and family
2. Elon Musk
3. Jeff Bezos
4. Larry Ellison
5. Warren Buffet
6. Bill Gates
7. Michael Bloomberg
8. Carlos Slim Helu and family
9. Mukesh Ambani

With information from Follha de S. Paulo

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