The richest banker in the world, Joseph (Jose) Safra, has died in Brazil, Veja writes. He passed away at the age of 82.
The family does not disclose the cause of death. However, the publication notes that the banker had health problems. He is due to be buried on December 10 at the Israelita do Butantã Jewish cemetery in São Paulo. Forbes estimates Safra’s fortune at $ 23.2 billion, calling the owner of Banco Safra” the world’s richest banker “.
He was also the wealthiest man in Brazil. According to Bloomberg , the banker’s capital is $ 17.6 billion, making him second among the wealthy of Brazil after investor Jorge Paulo Lehmann.
Safra was born in 1938 in Lebanon, but moved to Brazil in the 1960s to continue his father’s business. In 2016, the banker was accused of corruption. It was about the amount of $ 4.2 million that Safra allegedly planned to pay to the employees of tax organs to write off a debt of $ 500 million.