tried to get involved in politics and ran for president in 1989. In 2008, Grupo Silvio Santos turned 50 and consisted of 44 companies, with ventures that ranged from agribusiness to banks and hotels. Social impact Santos is also responsible for providing access to international TV programming, such as Celebrity Big Brother, Wheel of Fortune, Candid Camera, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, and Deal or No Deal. Instead of just broadcasting these shows – which are mostly on pay TV channels – he created Brazilian versions so that people could not only watch the shows, but also participate in them as contestants buying the products of their sponsors or even other investments. His trajectory has led to many comparisons between him and Sir Richard Branson. Due to his extremely charismatic personality, Silvio became and is still one of the most influential and beloved people in Brazil. Due to his peculiar mannerisms, impersonations of him have become a staple of Brazilian humor. Santos's other trademark is wearing a full-size microphone on his chest (although he would eventually abandon this practice in late 2014). See also Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão List of Brazilians by net worth References General sources Further reading External links Official SBT site 1930 births Living people People from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian people of Greek-Jewish descent Brazilian people of Turkish-Jewish descent Brazilian Sephardi Jews Brazilian businesspeople Brazilian billionaires Brazilian game show hosts Brazilian television presenters Brazilian television company founders Brazilian media executives Businesspeople from Rio de Janeiro (city) Kidnapped Brazilian people 20th-century Sephardi Jews 21st-century Sephardi Jews Abravanel family Grupo Silvio Santos