Roberto Marinho

	Personal details
Born	Roberto Marinho; Template:MONTHNAME 3, 1904 - Template:MONTHNAME 6, 2003; 🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality	🇧🇷 Brazilian
Citizenship	🇧🇷 Brazilian
Languages	🇺🇸 English
Education	Private education
	Career details
Occupation	Media mogul, publisher
Title	Former Chairman of Organizações Globo
Net worth	US$6.4 billion (at death)

Roberto Pisani Marinho (December 3, 1904 - August 6, 2003) was a Brazilian media mogul and businessman who founded and built Grupo Globo into the largest media conglomerate in Latin America and one of the most influential in the world. Starting with the newspaper O Globo, which he inherited from his father in 1925, Marinho expanded the empire to include Rede Globo, the second-largest commercial television network in the world, as well as radio stations, publishing houses, and cable television operations. At the height of his power, Globo's television signal reached approximately 95 percent of Brazilian households, giving Marinho unprecedented influence over Brazilian politics and culture.

Early life

Roberto Pisani Marinho was born on December 3, 1904, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the son of Irineu Marinho, a newspaper publisher, and Francisca Pisani. His father was of Portuguese descent, and his mother was of Italian heritage. Marinho was raised as a Roman Catholic and educated in local schools in Rio de Janeiro.

Career

O Globo newspaper

On July 29, 1925, Roberto's father Irineu Marinho founded O Globo, a morning newspaper in Rio de Janeiro. Tragically, Irineu died just 23 days later, leaving the 21-year-old Roberto to inherit the nascent publication.

The young Marinho appointed himself as a trainee reporter at the paper he had inherited. Displaying exceptional business acumen and journalistic instincts, he advanced to managing editor by 1931, at age 26. Under his leadership, O Globo grew to become one of Brazil's four main newspapers.

Radio Globo

Building on his success in print, Marinho expanded into radio broadcasting, founding Radio Globo. The station became one of the most popular radio outlets in Rio de Janeiro and served as a stepping stone to television.

Rede Globo television

On April 26, 1965, Marinho made his most consequential move by founding Rede Globo, Brazil's principal television network. The venture was initially established as a joint venture with the American Time-Life corporation.

In 1968, after considerable controversy, the Time-Life arrangement was found to violate the Brazilian Constitution, which prohibited foreign ownership of media outlets. Marinho bought out Time-Life's stake, giving him 100 percent ownership of TV Globo.

This development coincided with Brazil's military dictatorship (1964-1985), and Marinho's network was widely seen as supportive of the government. Critics accused Globo of bias in favor of the ruling regime, while Marinho defended the network's patriotism.

By the 1970s, Rede Globo's signal reached approximately 95 percent of Brazilian households, establishing it as the dominant media force in the country. The network became famous for its telenovelas (soap operas), which gained international audiences and established Brazilian television as a cultural export.

Media empire

Under Marinho's leadership, Grupo Globo expanded to include:

Rede Globo television network (115 affiliated stations)
O Globo newspaper
Radio Globo
Editora Globo (publishing)
Globosat (cable television)
Numerous other media properties

By the late 1990s, Grupo Globo was the largest media conglomerate in Latin America and one of the most influential worldwide.

Political influence

A self-described "patriot," Marinho wielded Globo's power to shape Brazilian politics in ways few media figures in any country have matched. With close ties to Brazil's military regime (1964-1985), he unabashedly used the network's reach to favor chosen politicians and marginalize those he considered "bad Brazilians."

Marinho's influence was so significant that presidential candidates routinely made pilgrimages to Rio de Janeiro to seek his blessing. He could effectively make or break political careers through the network's news coverage.

Following the return to democracy, Marinho's political involvement continued, though with less overt support for any single political tendency. Critics argued that Globo's news coverage remained biased, while supporters praised Marinho for his commitment to Brazilian development.

Personal life

Marriages

Roberto Marinho married three times:

Stella Goulart (married 1946, divorced 1970): His first wife, with whom he had all four of his sons:

Roberto Irineu Marinho (born October 13, 1947) - inherited the television division
Paulo Roberto Marinho (1950-1970) - died in a car accident at age 20
João Roberto Marinho (born September 16, 1953) - inherited the radio interests
José Roberto Marinho (born December 26, 1955) - inherited the newspaper

Ruth Albuquerque (married 1971-1991): His second marriage produced no additional children.

Lily de Carvalho Marinho (married 1991-2003): His third wife, whom he married at age 84. Lily Monique Lemb was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1921 and raised in Paris. She was a former Miss France. Lily later became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for peace (1999) and a prominent philanthropist. She died on January 5, 2011.

Wealth

By the 1970s, Marinho was considered one of South America's richest men and one of the most important media moguls in the world. His wealth stemmed primarily from Grupo Globo's dominant position in Brazilian media.

Death and legacy

Roberto Marinho died on August 6, 2003, at the age of 98. Despite their former rivalry, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (elected in 2002) declared three days of national mourning in his honor.

Upon his death, Marinho's media empire was distributed among his three surviving sons:

Roberto Irineu inherited leadership of the television division and became president of Grupo Globo
José Roberto was given the newspaper interests
João Roberto inherited the radio operations

The Marinho family continues to control Grupo Globo, which remains Latin America's largest media conglomerate with 115 TV stations and associates, serving hundreds of millions of Brazilian viewers.

Jacarepaguá Airport in Rio de Janeiro was renamed after Roberto Marinho in his honor.

References

External links

Grupo Globo Official Website