Silvio Santos

**Senor Abravanel** (12 December 1930 – 17 August 2024), known professionally as **Sílvio Santos** (), was a Brazilian media businessman, television producer, and television host. He was the owner of SBT, the second largest television network in the country. His net worth was US$3.2 billion in 2020.

He was the host of the second longest running Brazilian program: _ Programa Silvio Santos_ from 1963 to 2023. Santos has been called the greatest personality in the history of Brazilian television.

## Early life

Santos was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1930. He was the son of Sephardic Jewish immigrants. He worked on the streets of Rio de Janeiro as a street vendor at the age of 14, selling plastic cases for storing voter registration cards.

Some people liked his voice, that he was invited to try out for a job at Radio Guanabara, but he quit after a month, because he made more money as a street vendor.

Santos graduated from Colégio Estadual Amaro Cavalcanti in Rio de Janeiro.

## Career

Santos began focusing on a broadcasting career during his free days and soon joined Rádio Mauá. He later moved to Rádio Tupi, where he began working at Rádio Continental in Niterói. He travelled by ferry from Rio. He then saw another chance by entertaining the ferry passengers, where he would play music. He quit Rádio Continental to focus on the ferry entertainment instead.

Santos changed his name from _Senor Abravanel_ to _Silvio Santos_; his mother Caro had been calling him "Silvio" instead of "Senor" since it was easier to pronounce, while his surname came from having once said "que todos os Santos me ajudem" ("may all the Saints help me") before going on the air.

In the 1960s, he would move to São Paulo to focus on his television career. In 1960, TV Paulista signed Santos to host a television program—_Vamos Brincar de Forca_. He would also go on to host other shows for TV Tupi. In 1963, he began working on a Sunday afternoon variety show on TV Paulista, _Programa Silvio Santos_.

In 1966, TV Paulista became part of the new Rede Globo, which signed Santos to a five-year deal. He opened a studio, Estudios Silvio Santos Cinema e Televisao in 1974. In 1975, Santos became the first Brazilian television personality to own their own broadcast station. In the late 1980s, the television station Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (SBT) was created due to his show's popularity and he would have an executive role in the station as a result.

Santos would go on to host _Programa Silvio Santos_ until February 2023, when he stopped hosting due to his old age and health problems. Santos would also step down from his role as vice president of SBT in April 2023.

## Personal life

Santos was married to Maria Aparecida Vieira from 1962 until her death in 1977. He then married Íris Abravanel in 1978. He had six children.

Santos died on 17 August 2024 from problems caused by bronchopneumonia at hospital in São Paulo, Brazil at the age of 93. He had been hospitalized for over two weeks with H1N1. Santos was buried in a Jewish cemetery in São Paulo the same day.

## Other websites

- Official SBT site
- Official Group

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Silvio Santos
- **image**: Silvio Santos em maio de 2019.jpg
- **caption**: Santos in 2019
- **birth place**: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- **death place**: São Paulo, Brazil
- **death cause**: Bronchopneumonia caused by H1N1
- **birth name**: Senor Abravanel
- **title**: Chairperson, Chairman and founder of Grupo Silvio Santos
- **relatives**: Tiago Abravanel (grandson)
Fábio Faria (politician), Fábio Faria (son-in-law)
Alexandre Pato (son-in-law)
- **occupation**: Television host, media mogul
- **years active**: 1962–2024
- **children**: 6, including Patricia Abravanel, Patricia
- **signature**: Silvio Santos signature.svg