In Interview, Luciano Hang Reveals the Financial Bastards of Havan, Details the Billion Revenue, the Weight of Taxes and Defends the Importance of Reinvesting Everything in the Business.
A relaxed conversation, with a provocative tone and straightforward answers. It was in this atmosphere that the digital influencer Albertoni Cavalcante interviewed Luciano Hang, founder of Havan, one of the largest retail chains in Brazil.
The businessman spoke about the company’s growth, the billion-dollar figures it handles, the tax burden it faces, and the vision he maintains about work, problems, and success.
The Amazing Numbers of Havan
Hang did not hold back on the numbers. When asked about the company’s revenue, he shot back: “R$ 50 million a day.” According to him, today, the company generates R$ 1.5 billion a month.
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The number is impressive, but he goes further. According to the businessman, Havan is expected to close the year 2025 with a revenue of R$ 18 billion. For next year, the forecast is R$ 20 billion.
Taxes Greater Than Payroll
In the same vein, the businessman commented on the amount he pays in taxes. According to him, in 2024, Havan spent about R$ 4 billion just on taxes.
For this year, the estimate is R$ 5 billion. “Next year, about R$ 6 billion,” he stated. Despite the burden, Hang has an objective view on the subject: “It’s good to pay taxes. Those who pay taxes are because they are selling.”
Payroll: In contrast to taxes, Havan’s monthly payroll is around R$ 120 million, totaling over R$ 1 billion a year. The company currently employs about 22,000 people.
Billion Valuation of Havan and Aggressive Expansion
Another piece of information that caught attention was Havan’s valuation. According to Hang, based on the R$ 3 billion profit recorded last year and using a multiple of 15 times, the company would be valued at around R$ 45 billion. “It’s not that I have these 45 billion,” he explained. “It’s that it’s worth what it delivers in results multiplied by the market value.”
Hang also commented on the cost of opening a new store: between R$ 50 million and R$ 100 million per store.
At its peak of expansion, the chain managed to open 25 stores a year. The annual investment during that period reached R$ 2 billion.
Humble Origins and Culture of Effort
Recalling the beginning of Havan, Hang highlighted that he started without money. “If you wait to have something to start, you will never start,” he said.
To make the first steps viable, he turned to loans from friends, credit from suppliers, and banks. According to him, the key to the beginning was credibility. “I never delayed a payment,” he proudly stated.
Hang also revealed that he made two consortia at the beginning of his career and faced difficulties in paying them. “Today there are still difficulties. It’s not because you are big that you don’t have problems. I am a pineapple peeler.”
Management Philosophy: Loving to Solve Problems
One of the points most repeated by Hang in the conversation was the relationship with problems. “I love problems. Come problems, I solve them,” he said several times.
For him, the ability to solve difficult situations is an essential part of leadership. “If you are a manager, director, owner… problems are normal.
Hang believes that the secret lies in the posture. Complaining doesn’t solve, acting does. “Come problems, come problems, come problems. Come problems, there is money. What kind of business is this?,” he joked.
Advice for Those Starting: “A Rich Company With a Poor Owner”
At the end of the interview, Albertoni asked what advice Luciano Hang would give to those starting a business from scratch. The answer was straightforward and based on his own journey.
“Invest in the company. You start small, dream big. It has to be a rich company with a poor owner,” he asserted.
He explained that, during the 40 years of Havan, all the money he made was reinvested in the business. “I took more money from the bank, more credit from suppliers, everything for Havan.”
For him, a common mistake of beginner entrepreneurs is to confuse revenue with profit. “Many people start their business and see that volume of money and think it’s theirs. It’s not. It’s the supplier’s, it’s the tax. What’s left is little,” he warned.
The recommendation is clear: always reinvest. According to Hang, the secret to growth lies in the discipline of strengthening the company before thinking about personal gains. “Rich company with a poor owner. That’s the way.”
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