Antônio Carlos de Almeida Braga

Financial businessman Antônio Carlos de Almeida Braga, better known as Braguinha, was one of the biggest investors in the Brazilian stock market during the 1980s. Braguinha owned one of the largest insurance companies in Brazil, which would later merge with Bradesco Seguros, the biggest insurance company in Latin America. He later founded his own bank, managing it until his retirement, with his children then running the company.

Braguinha was a big fan of sports in Brazil including athletics, tennis, and Formula 1 motor racing. Perhaps his biggest interest was in volleyball where he was a sponsor of both the men’s and women’s national teams. He was awarded with the Olympic Order in Bronze in 1983. Braguinha was also a close friend of Ayrton Senna and was onboard the helicopter that transported Senna to the hospital following his fatal crash at Imola in May 1994.