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In addition to dominating Brazilian TV, Silvio Santos invested in agribusiness. He owned 70 hectares and 10 head of cattle in Mato Grosso. His visionary management of the rural sector revealed a little-known side of his multifaceted legacy, which left its mark not only on communication, but also on the Brazilian economy.
Silvio Santos not only revolutionized Brazilian television, but also surprised by leaving an impressive mark on the agricultural sector.
What few people know is that the man from the “Chest of Happiness” accumulated, in the 1970s, one of the largest rural properties in Brazil.
Despite never having set foot on some of these lands, his presence in agribusiness was notable and continues to intrigue historians and admirers.
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Silvio's trajectory in agribusiness is marked by bold investments and curiously distant management.
Even without ever having visited some of his farms, he built a rural empire that impresses to this day.
The rural empire of Silvio Santos
In 1972, Silvio Santos bought the former Agropecuária Tamakavy, renamed Chest Agricultural SA, located in the municipalities of Alto Boa Vista and São Félix do Araguaia, in Mato Grosso.
The property totaled more than 70 thousand hectares and housed around 10 thousand head of cattle.
The acquisition was part of a strategy encouraged by the military government, which sought to expand livestock farming in the Legal Amazon.
Silvio acquired the area from businessmen Orlando Ometto and Renato de Almeida Prado, who were already well-known in the sugar cane sector.
The volume of land was impressive due to its size and strategic importance.
For the military, initiatives like this strengthened the occupation of the region, while for Silvio, they represented a new facet of his business career.
Remote management
Despite owning one of the largest rural properties in Brazil at the time, Silvio Santos admitted in an interview with Folha de S.Paulo that he never visited the farm.
He commented, in a good-humoured way: “I had a farm that was the second largest in Brazil, Tamakavy, and I never went there. I didn’t even see it on the map.”
The decision to manage his rural business remotely reflects his business style, which has always prioritized delegating functions and trusting in capable teams.
This stance also highlighted its ability to diversify, by investing in areas completely different from its main business, entertainment.
Exit from the rural sector
In the late 1980s, Silvio decided to sell his properties in Mato Grosso.
This decision coincided with the sale of other important assets, such as Rede Record, and with his attempt to run for President of the Republic in 1989.
The period marked a redefinition of its business priorities, focusing on businesses that required greater direct involvement.
However, even after his departure from agribusiness, the impact of his initiatives in the sector continued to be remembered.
The impact of agriculture on your current business
Jequiti, one of the brands of the Silvio Santos Group, depends on agricultural raw materials to produce its cosmetics.
Vegetable oils, such as those derived from soy, and alcohol produced from sugar cane are essential for the manufacture of perfumes and creams.
Additionally, products such as Tele Seine and the Chest of Happiness They use paper in their receipts and booklets, which also refers to agribusiness, since the raw material comes from cellulose, extracted from cultivated trees.
These elements show that, even indirectly, agribusiness continues to be present in Silvio Santos' business legacy.
His ability to identify connections between such distinct sectors reveals the genius behind his management.
A multifaceted legacy
Silvio Santos left his mark not only on television, but also in agribusiness and in various sectors of the Brazilian economy.
His trajectory demonstrates a unique entrepreneurial vision, capable of identifying opportunities in completely different areas.
Even after leaving the rural sector, the impact of his decisions continues to be relevant, both in the history of agribusiness and in the popular imagination about his legacy.
Silvio Santos' story in agriculture reveals a little-known, but equally fascinating, side of the greatest communicator on Brazilian TV.
Did you know that Silvio Santos owned one of the largest farms in Brazil, but never set foot on it? Leave your opinion in the comments about this surprising facet of the greatest communicator on Brazilian TV!
