Olavo de Carvalho

Olavo Luiz Pimentel de Carvalho (Brazilian Portuguese: [oˈlavu luˈis pimẽˈtɛw dʒi kaʁˈvaʎu]; 29 April 1947 – 24 January 2022) was a Brazilian self-proclaimed philosopher, political pundit, astrologer, journalist, and far-right conspiracy theorist.

While publishing about politics, literature and philosophy since the 1980s, he made himself known to wider Brazilian audiences from the 1990s onwards, mainly writing columns for some of Brazil's major media outlets, such as the newspaper O Globo. In the 2000s, he began to use personal blogs and social media to convey his conservative and anti-communist ideas. In the late 2010s, he rose to prominence in the Brazilian public debate, being dubbed the "intellectual father of the new right" and the ideologue of Jair Bolsonaro, a label which he rejected.

His books and articles spread conspiracy theories and false information, and he was accused of fomenting hate speech and anti-intellectualism. He positioned himself as a critic of modernity. His interests included historical philosophy, the history of revolutionary movements, the Traditionalist School and comparative religion. His views were rejected by mainstream philosophers.

From 2005 until his death, he lived near Richmond, Virginia, in the United States. He died in 2022 several days after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19.

Early life and education

Olavo de Carvalho's father was a lawyer and his mother worked in the printing industry. They divorced while he was a child. His first name, which he claimed meant "survivor" in Norwegian, was chosen by his grandmother.

He told an interviewer that he was born sick and spent seven years bedridden. He had heart problems and Lyme disease.