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Brazil Billionaires on Forbes List Double After Surge in IPOs
By Elzio Barreto*.
Source: www.bloomberg.com

Brazil added eight billionaires to the ranks of the world's richest people after a record year for stock prices and initial public offerings, according to Forbes Inc.'s annual list of billionaires.

The country's new billionaires include the Constantino family that controls airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA and the founders of cosmetics company Natura Cosmeticos SA, Guilherme Peirao Leal, 55, and Antonio Luiz Seabra, 63. Elie Horn, 60, owner of luxury apartment developer Cyrela Brazil Realty SA, also joined the list. Stock of the three companies has more than doubled since selling shares in 2004 and 2005.

Brazilian companies raised 5.5 billion reais ($2.55 billion) in stock sales this year as the benchmark Bovespa index reached a record level, increasing the net worth of shareholders. The country's billionaires also benefited from a 49 percent surge in the Brazilian real since 2004, which helped increased the dollar value of their holdings, said Paulo Tenani at the Brazilian unit of UBS AG, the world's biggest money manager for the wealthy.

``Brazil's economy is showing signs of strength and it starts with the financial markets, with the IPOs,'' said Tenani, strategist with UBS AG's Brazilian wealth management unit, in a phone interview. ``The country's capital markets have expanded a lot.''

Henrique Constantino, 34, Joaquim Constantino Neto, 40, Ricardo Constantino, 42 and Constantino de Oliveira Jr., 37, banked on their family's experience as owner of Brazil's biggest bus operator to start Gol in 2001. Gol shares more than doubled to 59.07 reais, from 26.75 reais at its initial offering in June 2004. The airline sold shares a second time in April 2005, at 35.12 reais.

Steel, Cosmetics

Dorothea Steinbruch, whose family controls Brazil's third- largest steelmaker Cia. Siderurgica Nacional, also made the list of Brazilian billionaires, which is led by Joseph Safra and Moise Safra, who control Banco Safra SA. Forbes, in its list released today, counted altogether 793 billionaires in 49 countries worth a total of $2.6 trillion.

Natura, the main competitor to Avon Products Inc. in Brazil, ended a two-year hiatus of initial share sales in the country with its offering in May 2004. The shares more than tripled to 118 reais since the IPO.

Cyrela, which sells wealthy Brazilians apartments such as the Parque Alfredo Volpi with a 1,516 square-meter (1,813 square- yard) penthouse and 11 parking spaces in the garage, sold shares last year seeking to benefit from a 76 percent jump in sales of luxury apartments in Sao Paulo the past two years. The shares almost tripled to 40 reais, from its IPO price of 15 reais on Sept. 21.

The following lists the Brazil's richest people on the Forbes list:

1. Joseph and Moise Safra, Banco Safra
2. Aloysio de Andrade Faria, Banco Alfa
3. Jorge Paulo Lemann, InBev NV
4. Antonio Ermirio de Moraes, Votorantim Group
5. Julio Bozano, Embraer
6. Abilio dos Santos Diniz, Pao de Acucar
7. Marcel Herman Telles, InBev NV
8. Guilherme Leal, Natura
9. Antonio Luiz Seabra, Natura
10. Elie Horn, Cyrela
11. Carlos Alberto Sicupira, InBev NV
12. Dorothea Steinbruch, Siderurgica Nacional
13. Henrique Constantino, Gol
14. Joaquim Constantino Neto, Gol
15. Ricardo Constantino, Gol
16. Constantino de Oliveira Jr., Gol