Childhood & Early Life
Jorge Paulo Lemann was born to Paul Lemann and Anna Yvette Truebner on 26th August, 1939, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
He attended the 'American School of Rio de Janeiro' where his capabilities were visible to many and he was even chosen as the one most likely to succeed.
He was an excellent tennis player and even won the 'Brazilian national tennis championship' five times. He also represented Brazil and Switzerland in the 'Davis Cup' and even played at the 'Wimbledon'.
He enrolled at the 'Harvard University' in 1961, as a student of Bachelor's of Arts with major in Economics.
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Career
After completing his graduation he joined the multinational financial services company 'Credit Suisse' as a trainee.
He had a 2% stake in a company called 'Invesco' in 1966, and this was the first company he had invested in. However, the company met with bankruptcy.
Jorge collaborated with Marcel Herrmann Telles and Carlos Alberto Sicupira in 1971, and established the company 'Banco Garantia' which was an investment bank.
A few weeks after the firm was established, there was a huge decline in the market but this company remained unaffected by the decline and gradually, rose as one of the most renowned investment banks of Brazil.
From 1900 to 2001, he was associated with the Brazilian beer company ‘Brahma’ and was director of the board of the company.
He was associated with the operations of the 'Banco Garantia' company for more than two decades and then sold it to the company 'Credit Suisse Boston' for $675 million, in 1998.
Lemann acquired the Brazilian breweries named 'Companhia Antarctica Paulista' and 'Brahma Beer' along with his business partners of ‘GP Investimentos’, and renamed the brewing companies under the single head ‘AmBev'.
In 2004, ‘AmBev’ amalgamated with another brewing company ‘Interbrew’ and the amalgamated company was named as ‘InBev’. A year later the stock of the new company, InBev, had ascended by 40%, under the guidance of Lemann.
In 2004, the investment company named ‘3G Capital’ was established by Jorge Lemann along with his business partners Mercel Herrmann, Carlos Alberto Sicupira and Robert Thompson Motta.
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In 2008, ‘InBev’ declared that it would acquire the brewer company of America named ‘Anheuser-Busch which is the producer of brands like ‘Budweiser’ and ‘Budlight’ beer. The merger between the companies ‘InBev’ and ‘Anheuser-Busch’ would be named ‘Anheuser-Busch InBev’ (AB InBev). Ever since, Jorge Paulo Lemann has been regarded as one among the ‘Kings of beer’.
In 2010, the ‘3G Capital’ acquired the stocks of the ‘Burger King Holdings, Inc.’ along with the outstanding debts of the company. Each share was purchased at $24 and the total deal was worth a handsome amount of $4 billion.
The ‘3G Capital’ made news in 2013, after it acquired the ‘H.J.Heinz’ company in association with business mogul Warren Buffet. This was a huge investment and the company was purchased with a magnanimous amount of $28 billion, which included the company’s outstanding debts.
This business tycoon was a member of the board of ‘Gillette’, an international brand of men’s products which initially began as a producer of men’s safety razors.
In 2014, the ‘Restaurant Brands International’ was acquired by two big brands in the industry namely ‘Burger King Worldwide’ and ‘Tim Hortons Inc.’
On 25th March, 2015, the ‘H.J.Heinz’ company merged with the ‘Kraft Foods Group, Inc.’ and the merger was named as the ‘Kraft Heinz’ company.
Jorge is presently associated with the charitable organization ‘Endeavour’, which helps new businessmen in establishing themselves in the market.
Personal Life & Legacy
He first married Maria de Santiago Dantas Quental who was a psychoanalyst.
He married a second time to Susanna Lemann and is the father of five children named Anna Victoria, Lara, Marc, Jorge Felipe and Kim.
In 1999, his children escaped an attempted kidnapping on the way to their school. They were saved by their driver and since then, Lemann and his family have been residing in Switzerland.
He is a philanthropist and has till date donated huge funds in the establishment of many non-profit organizations such as ‘Fundacao Estudar’, ‘Lemann Institute for Brazilian Studies’ and also sponsors a professorship at the ‘Harvard University’ which is named after him.
Facts About Jorge Paulo Lemann
Jorge Paulo Lemann is known for his love of tennis and has competed in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon doubles tournaments.
Lemann holds dual citizenship in Brazil and Switzerland, allowing him to navigate international business ventures with ease.
Lemann is a philanthropist who has donated significant amounts to educational and social causes in Brazil, including supporting low-income students.
Lemann is a fan of Brazilian music and often attends live performances by popular artists in his home country.
Lemann is an avid reader and has a personal library filled with books on a wide range of topics, reflecting his intellectual curiosity.
