The Batista family stands as one of Brazil’s most successful entrepreneurs due to their ownership of JBS SA, the largest meat processing company in the world. JBS was founded in 1953 by José Batista Sobrinho, a rancher who started a slaughtering business on his property. Sobrinho began to expand his operations in the 1960s with a series of slaughterhouse purchases within the region. By the 1980s, he had acquired other food processing operations throughout the entire nation. José Batista Sobrinho married Flora Mendonça and, together, they had six children: José Batista Júnior, Valere Batista Mendonça Ramos, Vanessa Mendonça Batista, Wesley Mendonça Batista, Joesley Mendonça Batista and Vivianne Mendonça Batista. The eldest of the six, Jose Jr, took over as CEO from his father in the 1980s and held the position until 2005. The youngest son, Joesley, served as CEO from 2007 to 2011, when Wesley took the reins until 2017. Wesley and Joesley ran into legal trouble for bribing top Brazilian government officials. The two cut a plea deal, and 86-year-old José Batista Sobrinho was forced to step back in as CEO. In 2012, Forbes listed the family’s net worth to be just over $1.9 billion.
