One of the new billionaires in the Forbes list is the Brazilian television host and businessman Silvio Santos who has an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion as of March 2013. He is the 35th richest person in Brazil and 1107th in the list of World Billionaires.

Born Senor Abravanel on December 12, 1930 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mr. Santos has earned his estimated net worth of $1.3 billion when he worked in the entertainment business. He grew up poor and had to work as a street vendor during his teens in the early 40's. With his interest in the arts, he started working on television and radio projects as well as in circus productions whenever possible. He persevered and it has paid off. A radio scout noticed his ability to sell almost anything and he got a job at a local radio station. He eventually became one of the most widely recognized television hosts in Brazil in the 1960's.

In 1981, Silvio Santos founded Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (SBT), one of the most successful broadcast companies in Brazil. He launched Grupo Silvio Santos, a holding company with focus on hotels and agribusiness. He was the producer of several Brazilian versions of popular reality shows including Candid Camera, Wheel of Fortune, Celebrity Big Brother and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Also, he used to be a host of Show de Milhao, a popular Brazilian game show that was broadcasted in Brazil and the UK.

Santos is also the owner of Jequiti Cosmeticos, a fast-growing beauty business. Additionally, he owns Liderança Capitalizaçao, a company that sells Tele Sena, a one-time payment bond. He had a controlling share at Banco Panamericano SA which he sold to fellow billionaire Andre Estevez’ Banco BTG Pactual SA for $270 million in 2011. During this time, the company was involved in an alleged $2 billion accounting fraud scandal. The proceeds of the sale were used to offset the losses of Banco Panamericano.

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