Letter signed by Amador Aguiar, founder of Bradesco (1974)

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.
• 15.5cm x 21.5cm.
• Excellent condition.
• Unique piece.

From time to time, I like to present to you autographed documents from great personalities in the business world. Today, I highlight Amador Aguiar, founder of Bradesco bank, an institution known worldwide.

Of humble origins, Aguiar was born into a poor family in the interior of São Paulo and began working from an early age as a helper on his father's small farm, street vendor and office boy before entering the banking world at the age of 22. It grew quickly and, in 1943, founded Banco Brasileiro de Descontos, which would later become Bradesco. His great intuition was to serve small traders, farmers and low-income people, a market niche ignored by the big banks at the time. He was a pioneer in opening branches in rural areas and using technologies such as computers in day-to-day banking. In 1968, it 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 his attention to Fundação Bradesco, an institution that maintains several schools across Brazil and which received the majority 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 Banco Bradesco's headquarters are located. The place 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, through his charismatic signature, the recipient and the letterhead. Documents signed by large businesspeople are in increasing demand and value.