On Sunday (18), the businessman Abilio Diniz, who created an empire with Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA), passed away at the age of 87. One of the greatest leaders in the Brazilian corporate world, Abilio was hospitalized at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo.
The businessman began to feel unwell during a trip to Aspen, Colorado, United States, and had to return to Brazil hastily on a plane adapted with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). "It is with extreme sadness that the Diniz family announces the passing of Abilio Diniz at the age of 87 this Sunday, February 18, 2024, victim of respiratory failure due to pneumonia. The businessman leaves behind five children, a wife, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and will reunite with his son João Paulo, who passed away in 2022. The family appreciates all the messages of support and affection," said the statement released by the family.
Abilio Diniz built an empire in retail. With Pão de Açúcar, he became one of the richest men in the country, embodying an era of success for family businesses with influence in governments. He witnessed crises in his business, faced a fierce family dispute, and a kidnapping.