In 1974, Amador Aguiar, the emblematic founder of Bradesco, agreed to hire the grandson of the mayor of Rio de Janeiro.
- Letter signed by Amador Aguiar, founder of Bradesco, to Marshal Ângelo Mendes de Moraes.
- One page.
- In Portuguese.
- 15.5 cm x 21.5 cm.
- Excellent condition of conservation.
- One-of-a-kind.
From time to time, I like to present to you autograph documents from great personalities in the business world. Today, I highlight Amador Aguiar, founder of the Bradesco bank, a globally known institution.
Of humble origins, Aguiar was born into a poor family in rural São Paulo and started working early as a farmhand on his father's small farm, a street vendor, and an office boy before entering the banking world at age 22. He rose rapidly and, in 1943, founded Banco Brasileiro de Descontos, which later became Bradesco. His great insight was to serve small merchants, farmers, and low-income people, a market niche ignored by the large banks of the time. He was a pioneer in opening branches in rural areas and in using technologies such as computers in daily banking operations. In 1968, he was the first bank to offer credit cards in the country.
When he retired in 1990, Bradesco was the largest financial organization in the country, with 1,800 branches and 140,000 employees. He died a billionaire, but with a very simple lifestyle, dedicating attention to the Bradesco Foundation, an institution that maintains several schools throughout Brazil and which received most of his shares when he died. Aguiar adopted three daughters; the first, Lina, had been abandoned in front of Bradesco, in São Paulo. He soon took custody of her two sisters.
This letter was written from Cidade de Deus, an area in Osasco, São Paulo, where the headquarters of Banco Bradesco are located. The location should not be confused with the well-known favela Cidade de Deus, located in Rio de Janeiro, which gained worldwide fame through the film of the same name. The recipient, Marshal Ângelo Mendes de Moraes (1894-1990), is known for having launched the construction and inaugurated the Maracanã stadium in 1950 for the World Cup, when he was then mayor of Rio de Janeiro.
I liked this letter because of the inspiration that Amador Aguiar represents, his charismatic signature, the recipient, and the letterhead. Documents signed by great businessmen are increasingly in demand and valuable.
