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Carlito Guimarães Argues That Accumulating Money Doesn’t Create Value and That the True Wealth of Cattle Ranchers Lies in Cattle, Land, and Production
The cattle rancher Carlito Guimarães, one of the most influential figures in the Xingu region, surprised many by stating that “money is the worst commodity that exists”. For him, keeping capital in a bank is losing value, while investing in cattle and land guarantees real growth of wealth.
This view, which confronts traditional financial logic, reinforces the importance of thinking about productive and long-term strategies in agribusiness.
According to Guimarães, the key to prosperity lies in knowing to buy when the market is down and sell when it is up.
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In the field, this means increasing the herd when the price of cattle drops and directing resources toward land, infrastructure, and machinery when cattle prices rise.
Those Who Accumulate Money Lose Purchasing Power
The cattle rancher explains that the major mistake of many producers is following the majority flow: buying high and selling low.
In practice, this behavior leads to losses. Money that sits idle does not grow — worse yet, it loses value over time. In contrast, commodities, whether in the form of cattle, soybeans, or corn, maintain and expand wealth.
To illustrate, Guimarães compares rural reasoning to the financial market.
Just as investor Luiz Barsi focuses on dividends rather than the stock price, in agriculture, the “dividend” lies in the calf that is born.
It is the productive cycle that ensures continuous returns, regardless of market fluctuations.
What Is the Value of a Pickup Truck in Cattle
Another point made by the cattle rancher is that, in the field, money should not be viewed as the absolute standard of value.
When considering purchasing a pickup truck, the producer should calculate how many cattle it costs, not just the price in reais.
This reasoning protects against monetary illusion and reinforces that true wealth lies in production.
The logic also applies to market fluctuations.
Those who have thousands of heads of cattle can withstand periods of price drops because they know that at some point, the appreciation cycle will return.
In contrast, those who accumulate money in the bank, according to Guimarães, are exposed to currency devaluation and lose purchasing power.
Why Cattle and Land Are the Foundation of Wealth
For Carlito Guimarães, wealth in agribusiness lies in productive scale.
More cattle means more calves, which correspond to more future sales opportunities. Well-maintained land means greater capacity for expansion.
Money, on the other hand, only serves immediate expenses but does not represent a solid foundation of wealth.
He also cites prominent business figures, like the owner of Havan, who share this view: idle money is a loss.
The secret lies in keeping capital always converted into commodities, productive infrastructure, or herd expansion.
And what do you think? Do you agree with Carlito Guimarães’s view that money is just a “bad commodity” for cattle ranchers? Do you believe that cattle and land are indeed safer than banks? Share your thoughts in the comments — we want to hear from those who live this experience.
Essa opinião é muito boa depois que o cara fica bilionário,vai tocar uma empresa sem capital de giro pra você ver !
Conheço o xingú e Romão flor e seu irmão, isso sim são referência…..!
Trabalhamos a vida toda pra termais dinheiro quando morremos deixamos tudo prós nossos parentes falar bem da gente até dividir depois só falo mau da gente então comigo e assim curtir cada dia como se fosse o ultimo gastar o pouquinho que tenho mais e meu