- Joseph Safra
Joseph Safra ( _ar. يوسف صفرا) is a member of one of the wealthiest families in
South America and currently runs theBrazil ianbanking andinvestment empire,Safra Group . As the chairman of all Safra companies, among themSafra National Bank of New York , and the largeBanco Safra headquartered inSão Paulo ,Brazil . Joseph was recently ranked number 101 on the Forbes list of billionaries, with an estimated fortune of 8.8 billion (ranked number 3 for South America). [ [http://www.forbes.com//lists/2008/10/billionaires08_The-Worlds-Billionaires-Latin-America_6Rank.html The Latin America's Billionaires, Forbes.com, March 2007] ]Early life
Joseph was born into a wealthy Jewish Syrian banking family from
Aleppo . The family's history in banking originated with caravan trade between Aleppo,Alexandria andConstantinople during theOttoman Empire . The family relocated toBeirut after the first world war. Later, facing anti-Jewish riots in Beirut after the creation of the state ofIsrael in1948 , the Safras decided to move to Brazil in1952 . In1955 , Joseph's 23-year-old brother,Edmond Safra , and his father,Jacob Safra , started working in Brazil by financing assets in São Paulo. But soon, Edmond Safra separated from his brothers Joseph and Moise and headed to New York where he founded the Republic National Bank of New York (which he later sold toHSBC in 1997 and donated most of his money to the Edmond Safra Foundation). Joseph Safra foundedBanco Safra in the 60's, and today it is the 6th largest private bank in Brazil. He remains the chairman of theSafra Group offering banking services throughout Europe, North and South America.Joseph Safra recently acquired the remaining shares of
Safra Group companies from his brother Moise. The two brothers still maintain a joint ownership of Aracruz Cellulose.Business holdings
*Aracruz Cellulose
*Banco Safra
*Bank Jacob Safra Switzerland
*Safra Group
*Safra National Bank of New York References
See also
*
Edmond Safra External links
* [http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/10/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=10&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=3TSL&datatype=Person Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People]
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