Joesley Batista
Joesley Batista | |
|---|---|
| File:Joesley Batista presta depoimento na Polícia Federal em SP 4 (cropped).jpg | |
| Born | Joesley Mendonça Batista 8 December 1972 Formosa, Goiás, Brazil |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Organization | J&F Investimentos |
| Spouse | Ticiana Villas Boas (m. 2012) |
| Relatives | Wesley Batista (brother) |
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Joesley Mendonça Batista (born December 8, 1972) is a prominent Brazilian entrepreneur and the son of José Batista Sobrinho. He played a pivotal role in driving the growth and global expansion of JBS S.A., recognized as the largest meat processing company worldwide and a significant entity within Brazil’s agribusiness industry,[1] alongside J&F Investimentos, which he co-owns with his spouse, Flora.[2] As of October 2021, his fortune was estimated at approximately US$4.1 billion.[3]
Early life
Born into a family with deep agricultural business roots, Joesley is the son of José Batista Sobrinho, the founder of both JBS S.A. and J&F Investimentos.[2] He is married to Flora Mendonça Batista, and they have five children: Valere, Vanessa, Wesley, Joesley, and Vivianne.[2]
Career
In 2016, Forbes ranked him among the top 70 billionaires in Brazil.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Corruption and influence peddling
Batista and his corporation admitted guilt in connection with numerous bribery charges.[4][5] Between September 2017 and October 2018, Brazilian judicial authorities detained him for illicit activities related to financial markets.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Operation Car-Wash
In July 2016, Batista became a suspect in Operation Car Wash. The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) accused him of orchestrating bribes through his company, JBS S.A., directed at former Brazilian Chamber of Deputies president Eduardo Cunha. These payments were intended to facilitate the release of funds from the (FI-FGTS).
Temer bribery
On May 17, 2017, O Globo disclosed that Batista had secretly recorded a conversation from March 2017 with then Brazilian president Michel Temer, during which Batista asserted that he financed Cunha's silence. This revelation led to public demonstrations and a decline in stock prices. Subsequently, on May 19, JBS confessed to providing bribes over a period of 14 years to presidents Michel Temer, Dilma Rousseff, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; all three denied these accusations. Audio evidence suggests Temer authorized monthly payments to Cunha as hush money. JBS reported disbursing $123 million in bribes to political figures.
Batista also reportedly recorded senator and former presidential contender Aécio Neves soliciting two million reais in bribes; the PF captured the transaction on film and traced the funds back to a company connected to senator Zeze Perrella. The ex-head of Brazil’s Securities Commission testified that JBS bribed approximately 1,829 politicians. Temer accused Batista of insider trading following allegations that JBS manipulated recordings; JBS refuted claims of unlawful trading.
It has been reported that Batista and JBS obtained over R$10 billion in loans from the BNDES at rates below market value as a result of these illegal payments. In return for cooperation with authorities, PF released Batista, his brother, and other JBS executives upon payment of a R$225 million fine. Following this agreement, Batista relocated to the United States. The leniency arrangement applies solely to individuals involved; discussions are ongoing regarding penalties for J&F, the holding company of JBS, with initial proposals near R$11 billion having been declined by Batista. By May 2017, CVM sought $3.4 billion from JBS under a leniency settlement.
JBS engaged law firm Baker McKenzie to handle negotiations with the United States Department of Justice concerning potential violations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Investigation into Insider Trading
Prior to the public release of the audio recordings, Batista and his brother Wesley Batista sold a substantial portion of their JBS S.A. shares, generating proceeds exceeding USD 1 billion. The revelation of these recordings triggered a significant drop in both JBS's stock value and the Brazilian Real's exchange rate. The Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) has initiated an inquiry into the Batista siblings regarding allegations of insider trading.
Detention
On 10 September 2017, Batista was taken into temporary custody by the PF following a request from Attorney General Rodrigo Janot, which was authorized by Federal Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin.
Subsequently, on 13 September 2017, the 6th Criminal Federal Court in São Paulo ordered his detention on charges related to exploiting confidential information for financial gain between April and 17 May 2017. This period coincided with announcements concerning the cooperation agreement between J&F executives and the Attorney General's Office.
Batista was released from incarceration in São Paulo on 9 March 2018; however, he remains subject to travel limitations, with authorities holding his passport.
Personal Life
Batista wed television host Ticiana Villas Boas at the JBS headquarters in São Paulo, an event that featured performances by renowned Brazilian artists Ivete Sangalo and Bruno & Marrone.
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