Brazil’s richest man, Safra dies at 82

Brazil’s richest man, Joseph Safra, is dead.

He died on Thursday at the age of 82, his company, Safra Group, said in a statement.

With a fortune estimated at $23.3 by Forbes magazine, the banker was ranked as the 64th richest person in the world.

The Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) also confirmed the billionaire’s death in a statement.

“It is with great regret that we received notice of the loss of Joseph Safra,” the statement read.

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Febraban called him an emblematic figure in the country’s banking sector.

“Safra, who was descended from bankers, had a strategic view of the country, and set an example as an entrepreneur and philanthropist,” it said.

Born in Lebanon, Safra moved to Brazil in the 1960s and alongside his brother, Moise, built a banking and investment empire.

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