Ronaldo Cezar Coelho: “Vendi a alma pelo que me disseram que daria certo” | THE BUSINESS OF LIFE

Published on: May 1, 2025 For decades, Ronaldo Cezar Coelho has been at the center of some of the main movements in the Brazilian economy and politics. He was a car salesman, a banker, a member of the Constituent Assembly, a secretary in the Rio de Janeiro state government – ​​and, to this day, he is one of the largest individual investors on the Brazilian Stock Exchange, with significant stakes in companies such as Light and Vibra. “I always worked with things that were current, new things,” he said in this episode of The Business of Life. Cezar Coelho owned Multiplic, alongside fellow investor Antonio José Carneiro, known as Bode. The institution began as a brokerage firm and became a bank in the 1970s. In 1997, it was acquired by the British Lloyds Bank, which was a partner in the institution. The investor recounts that success in the financial market did not shield him from an existential crisis. “I became absolutely depressed. I sold my soul for what they told me would work out: marrying a beautiful woman, having a family, money, power.” After that, he decided to enter politics. In 1986, he was elected federal deputy to the Constituent Assembly by the PMDB. Later, he participated in the founding of the PSDB and was Secretary of Industry and Commerce in the government of Marcello Alencar, in Rio de Janeiro. At 78 years old, his focus is on leaving a new kind of legacy: the recovery of the Vale do Café (Coffee Valley). The project includes the creation of the Vassouras Museum, located in a historic building of the Santa Casa, the Vassouras Jewish Memorial, and the planting of thousands of seedlings to restore the local flora and fauna. His advice for those starting out: “Persist, don't be seduced by big dreams, and don't be sad about setbacks.” Watch on Brazil Journal: https://braziljournal.com/ronaldo-cez...