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The Forbes billionaire list for 2026 identifies 255 Brazilians and shows that the Southeast region accounts for almost 60% of the names. Eduardo Saverin, 44, tops the list in São Paulo, while Jorge Paulo Lemann, 86, leads in Rio. Santa Catarina boasts 38 billionaires, Luana Lopes Lara, 30, heads the list in Minas Gerais, and the North region has none.
Brazil is home to 255 billionaires in Forbes’s 2026 list of wealth, and the breakdown by birthplace reveals Eduardo Saverin, 44, co-founder of Facebook, at the top in São Paulo, with an estimated wealth of R$ 162.9 billion, and Jorge Paulo Lemann, 86, from AB InBev/3G Capital, leading in Rio de Janeiro with R$ 103.5 billion. The wealth is concentrated in a few regions: the Southeast holds nearly 60% of the names, while the Northern Region has no representatives.
The information was published by VEJA magazine on September 9, 2026, in a piece by Nara Boechat, based on the Forbes list.
Southeast accounts for nearly 60% of the 255 billionaires
Of the 255 Brazilian billionaires, almost 60% were born in the Southeast, according to VEJA. The list reveals a significant concentration of wealth in certain regions of the country.
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The sources of wealth span sectors such as technology, banking, industry, retail, and investments.
Eduardo Saverin, 44, leads São Paulo with R$ 162.9 billion
Eduardo Luiz Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, now Meta, is the richest Paulista on the list, with R$ 162.9 billion. At 44 years old, he has the highest wealth among all individuals listed by state.
Saverin’s fortune surpasses that of the overall second-place holder, Jorge Paulo Lemann, by R$ 59.4 billion.
In Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Paulo Lemann, 86, ranks first with R$ 103.5 billion. His fortune comes from AB InBev and 3G Capital.
Lemann is the oldest among the state leaders highlighted by VEJA, with 42 years more than Saverin.
Luana Lopes Lara, 30, from Kalshi, tops Minas with R$ 13.4 billion
Minas Gerais boasts one of the youngest billionaires in the list: 30-year-old Luana Lopes Lara, co-founder of the platform Kalshi, worth R$ 13.4 billion.
She is the only woman among those leading their states in the list released by the magazine.
Santa Catarina has 38 billionaires, with Alceu Feldmann at the top
Outside the Southeast, Santa Catarina stands out with 38 billionaires. The wealthiest person in Santa Catarina is Alceu Elias Feldmann from Fertipar, with R$ 19.2 billion.
This number establishes the state as the main hub of significant fortunes outside the Rio-São Paulo-Minas axis, according to the survey.
Joesley Batista in Goiás and Mauro Araripe in Ceará exceed R$ 20 billion
Goiás has Joesley Mendonça Batista from JBS, with R$ 21.9 billion. He has the third-largest fortune among state leaders.
In Ceará, Mauro Araújo Alencar Araripe from Casa dos Ventos totals R$ 20.3 billion, the highest amount in the Northeast on the list.
South: Lírio Parisotto in Rio Grande do Sul and Artur Grynbaum in Paraná
In Rio Grande do Sul, Lírio Albino Parisotto from Videolar and an investor in the Stock Exchange leads with R$ 14.2 billion.
In Paraná, the top billionaire is Artur Noemio Grynbaum from O Boticário, with R$ 8.7 billion.
Northeast: Janguiê Diniz, Flávio Rocha, and Ilson Mateus between R$ 3.5 billion and R$ 3.8 billion
José Janguiê Bezerra Diniz, from Ser Educacional, is the richest person born in Paraíba, with R$ 3.8 billion. In Pernambuco, Flávio Gurgel Rocha, from Guararapes/Riachuelo, has R$ 3.7 billion.
In Maranhão, Ilson Mateus Rodrigues, from Grupo Mateus, appears with R$ 3.5 billion.
Fortunes of R$ 1 billion to R$ 3 billion complete the list across five states
Luiz Humberto Pereira, from Grupo Pereira, leads in Mato Grosso do Sul with R$ 3 billion. In Bahia, Carlos Nascimento Pedreira Filho, from GPS, has R$ 1.4 billion, and in Espírito Santo, Nilton Carlos Chieppe, from Azul/Águia Branca, totals R$ 1.3 billion.
In Rio Grande do Norte, Pedro Alcântara Rego de Lima and family, from 3Corações, have R$ 1.1 billion, and in Alagoas, Vitor Wanderley Jr. and brothers, from Usina Coruripe, close the list with R$ 1.0 billion.
The 16 states with billionaires at the top, according to Forbes
- São Paulo: Eduardo Luiz Saverin (Meta/Facebook), R$ 162.9 billion
- Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Paulo Lemann (AB InBev/3G Capital), R$ 103.5 billion
- Goiás: Joesley Mendonça Batista (JBS), R$ 21.9 billion
- Ceará: Mauro Araújo Alencar Araripe (Casa dos Ventos), R$ 20.3 billion
- Santa Catarina: Alceu Elias Feldmann (Fertipar), R$ 19.2 billion
- Rio Grande do Sul: Lírio Albino Parisotto (Videolar/Bolsa de Valores), R$ 14.2 billion
- Minas Gerais: Luana Lopes Lara (Kalshi), R$ 13.4 billion
- Paraná: Artur Noemio Grynbaum (O Boticário), R$ 8.7 billion
- Paraíba: José Janguiê Bezerra Diniz (Ser Educacional), R$ 3.8 billion
- Pernambuco: Flávio Gurgel Rocha (Guararapes/Riachuelo), R$ 3.7 billion
- Maranhão: Ilson Mateus Rodrigues (Grupo Mateus), R$ 3.5 billion
- Mato Grosso do Sul: Luiz Humberto Pereira (Grupo Pereira), R$ 3 billion
- Bahia: Carlos Nascimento Pedreira Filho (GPS), R$ 1.4 billion
- Espírito Santo: Nilton Carlos Chieppe (Azul/Águia Branca), R$ 1.3 billion
- Rio Grande do Norte: Pedro Alcântara Rego de Lima and family (3Corações), R$ 1.1 billion
- Alagoas: Vitor Wanderley Jr. and brothers (Usina Coruripe), R$ 1.0 billion
List considers the state of birth, not where the billionaires live or have businesses
The survey takes into account the state of birth of the billionaires, not necessarily their current residence or where they conduct business, according to VEJA.
This explains, for instance, why Eduardo Saverin, who built his fortune on Facebook in the United States, is listed as the richest in São Paulo.
Seven states in the Northern Region are absent from the billionaire map
The Northern Region does not appear on the Forbes map for 2026: none of the seven states has a representative among the 255 billionaires in Brazil.
With the Southeast accounting for nearly 60% of the names and Santa Catarina alone with 38, the list published on September 9, 2026, highlights the disparity between regions in the formation of significant fortunes.
In your opinion, does the absence of the Northern Region from the Forbes list reflect a lack of economic opportunities in the region, or is it simply due to the birth state criterion used in the survey? Share your opinion in the comments.
