Eliezer Batista

Eliezer Batista
Batista as Minister of Mines and Energy
President of Vale S.A.
In office
1979–1986
Minister of Ministry of Mines and Energy
In office
1 January 1962 - 31 December 1984
Personal details
Born
Eliezer Batista da Silva

(1924-05-04)4 May 1924
Nova Era, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Died18 June 2018(2018-06-18) (aged 94)
Hospital Samaritano, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
CitizenshipBrazil
Spouse
Jutta Fuhrken
(m. 1954; div. 2009)
Inguelore Scheunemann
(m. 2009)
Children7, including Eike
Alma materFederal University of Parana
OccupationBusinessman, engineer, politician

Eliezer Batista da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [eliˈɛzeɾ baˈtistɐ da ˈsiɫvɐ]; 4 May 1924 – 18 June 2018) was a Brazilian businessman, engineer and politician. In 1979, he was appointed president of Vale do Rio Doce, a multinational metals and mining corporation headquartered in Brazil, and within six years, increased the company's annual profits from $36 million to $920 million.[1] Today, Vale S.A. is the largest producer of iron ore and nickel worldwide.

He was the father of former billionaire Eike Batista, once the richest man in the world.[2][3] Batista served as Minister to the Ministry of Mines and Energy from 1962 to 1984.

Early life and education[edit]

Batista was born 4 May 1924 in Nova Era, Minas Gerais to Jose Batista da Silva and Maria da Natividade Pereira, both of whom were of Portuguese descent. He received a degree in civil engineering from the Federal University of Parana in 1948.[4]

Personal life[edit]

Batista was married to Jutta Fuhrken, a native of Hamburg, Germany, with whom he had seven children, including Eike Batista. In 2009, he divorced her and subsequently remarried to Inguelore Scheunemann, a dentist and former professor at the Federal University of Pelotas, also of German origin.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Riding, Alan (19 May 1985). "Mining for Profits in the Jungles of Brazil". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Two-time Vale president Eliezer Batista dies". www.mining-journal.com. 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  3. ^ "Vale announces the passing of two times president, Eliezer Batista". www.ibj-online.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  4. ^ Biography (in Portuguese) http://www.cpdoc.fgv.br/nav_jgoulart/htm/Biografias/Eliezer_Batista.asp Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine