Eike Batista
Ranked as the 8th richest person in the world, Eike Batista's privileged background and legitimate interest in business has granted him the title of wealthiest and most successful Brazilian businessman.
Bio
Son of a respected Brazilian government official and former president of Vale do Rio Doce, Eliezer Batista, Eike was born in Brazil and lived in Europe during his teen years, living in various different places, such as Brussels, Switzerland and Germany, where he attended to the University of Aachen as a metallurgical engineering student.
When returning to Brazil, in the early 1980's, Batista got involved in the gold and diamonds trade, establishing himself as a salesman, contacting producers in the Amazon area and buyers in large metropolitan centers in Brazil and Europe.
In 1983 he founded EBX, a Brazilian holding operating in several different segments, but particularly strong in the mining, logistics, energy and natural gas and petroleum exploration and production.
EBX Group
Founded in 1983, EBX administrates business in the segments of mining, furniture, energy, renewable sources and entertainment.
Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro and operating in nine Brazilian states, plus the offices in New York, Colombia and Chile, EBX is making investments estimated in BRL 28 billion in Brazil between 2011 and 2012 and is responsible for projects of larger scale in the country.
Here are some of the main ventures of the EBX Group:
MMX
The mining company of the EBX Group has integrated logistics and low production costs. Its projects are in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul, and also in Chile.
MPX
Operating in the Brazilian, Chilean and Colombian energy industries, MPX has complementary business in power generation, coal mining, exploration and production of natural gas, besides being responsible for the first commercial solar power plant in Brazil, located in the city of Tauá.
OGX
This is the company of the EBX group in charge of activities in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It is responsible for the largest private sector exploratory campaign under way in Brazil, as well as the most successful in the exploration segment.
LLX
This branch of the EBX Group is in charge of the construction of Açu Superport, projected to be the largest port-industrial complex in Latin America.
OSX
Operating in the offshore shipbuilding industry, OSX is constructing the largest shipyard in the Americas at the Açu Superport industrial complex. The company also provides services to the offshore oil and natural gas industry in three different segments: shipbuilding; charter of exploration and production equipment; and Operation & Maintenance.
Besides these ventures, Eike Batista is also operating in the food, real estate and hospitality segments.
Finances and Status
In 2011, the estimated wealth of BRL 30 billion ranked Eike Batista as the 8th richest person in the world and the richest in South America. Bloomberg Markets magazine ranked him among the 50 most influential people in global finance, considering the following criteria:
- People whose comments move markets
- Whose deals set the value of companies or securities
- Whose ideas and policies shape corporations, governments and economies
From 2009 to 2011 he went from 142nd richest person in the world to the 61st. His goal is to become the richest person in the world in five years.
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