Eike Batista

Eike Fuhrken Batista da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈajk(i) ˈfuʁkẽj baˈtʃistɐ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 3 November 1956) is a Brazilian businessman who made and lost a multi-billion dollar fortune in mining and oil and gas industries. He engaged in a quest to promote Brazil's infrastructure with large-scale projects, such as the Porto do Açu.

He was chairman of Brazilian conglomerate EBX Group, which was formerly the parent company of five companies traded on the BOVESPA's Novo Mercado, a special segment of the São Paulo stock market. These five companies were: OGX (oil and gas), MPX (energy), LLX (logistics), MMX (mining), and OSX (offshore services and equipment). Nowadays, EBX advises new startup companies and tries to rebuild itself again. In 2024, on the Market Makers podcast, Eike introduced a new biotech startup called BRX.[2]

In early 2012, Batista's net worth was estimated at US$35 billion, ranking him as the seventh richest person in the world, and the richest in Brazil. By July 2013, his wealth had plummeted to $200 million due to his debts and declines in his companies' stock values. Bloomberg reported in January 2014, that Batista had a negative net worth. Forbes and Folha de São Paulo quoted Batista in September 2014, stating that his net worth was –$1 billion. Batista is currently under house arrest after being sentenced to 30 years in prison for several offences, including bribing disgraced Rio de Janeiro governor Sérgio Cabral Filho, in order to secure public contracts.