Jorge Paulo Lemann

Jorge Paulo Lemann

The Brazillian business tycoon, Jorge Paulo Lemann is the third wealthiest man of his country and with a net worth of $13.3 billion, he ranks 55th on the list of richest men in the world, all thanks to his controlling stake in the world’s largest beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev. Lemann is a self made man.

Lemann launched his career in 1971 when he founded Brazilian bank, Banco Garantia along with his two partners, Marcel Herrmann Telles and Carlos Alberto Sicupira. Lemann always possessed a talent for forming mergers and acquisitions. 27 years after the beginning of Banco Garantia, Lemann sold it to Credit Suisse First Boston for $675 million.

These are not the only reasons to Lemann’s fame; he is a well known brewer and a leading player of the beer industry in not only the United States but the rest of the world. He took over AnheuserBusch which produced brands such as Budweiser and Budlight. In 2003, Lemann earned a profit of 35% from brewery. The gross sales estimated to US$2.7 billion resulting in an increased fame for Lemann in not only Brazil but also other countries including Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Jorge Paulo Lemann’s name made big headlines in 2013 along with his partners, Marcel Herrmann Telles and Carlos Alberto Sicupira when 3G Capital, their investment firm with presence in New York and Rio de Janeiro formed partnership with Warren Buffett to buy Heinz. However, Lemann’s first huge success in business was when in 1998, he sold his bank, Banco Garantia to Credit Suisse First Boston for $675 million. Lemann had founded Banco Garantia in 1971. In 2010, along with his two long term partners and a new one, Eike Batista another millionaire businessman, Lemann bought Burger King. They took it private and then 2 years later, made it public again. The Lemann-Telles-Sicupira trio also control publicly traded retailer Lojas Americanas and real estate investment firm São Carlos Empreendimentos e Participações S.A

Jorge Paulo Lemann parent were Swiss immigrants to Brazil. His childhood was not a very lavish one. However, Lemann later grew up to control 65% of the total beer market of Brazil. Lemann is currently serving as one of the board of directors of Endeavor Brazil office. Very fond of tennis, Lemann has once played in the Wimbledon championship tournament.  The University of Illinois encompasses the Lemann Institute for Brazilian Studies which was made with a donation of $16.5 million from Lemann. A professorship is also named after Lemann at Harvard Business School. Jorge Paulo Lemann is married with 5 children and lives in Brazil with his family.