BRASILIA, Brazil — Silvio Santos, a Brazilian television executive and broadcaster famed for his dazzling smile and slogan “Who wants money?” has passed away after a decades-long career in the spotlight. He was 93.
Santos owned the television network SBT and produced various variety shows. The most well-known of them bore his name and had been hosted since 1963, with current episodes airing on Sunday nights. It is one of Brazil’s longest-running TV shows. Santos launched several additional successful programs on his network, including “Show of the Million” and the reality show “Artists’ House.”
“Today, heaven rejoices with the entrance of our darling Silvio Santos. He dedicated his 93-year life to spreading happiness and love to all Brazilians. “That wide smile and familiar voice will always be remembered with gratitude,” the SBT network stated in a social media statement Saturday.
Brazilian Entertaining Legend Silvio Santos Dies At 93
According to the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, he died of bronchopneumonia caused by an H1N1 virus for which he had been treated recently.
His death will alter weekends for millions of Brazilians who have tuned in to the “Silvio Santos Program” and were greeted by its introductory jingle: “Here comes Silvio Santos!” During his show, which lasted up to ten hours, he folded cash airplanes and hurled them into the audience. He continuously interacted with the audience and could wave his hands in the air thanks to a bespoke microphone attached to his collar.
Even in his 90s, he continued to dye his hair dark, which added to his youthful appearance. His well-groomed hair became one of his hallmarks.
2013 Forbes magazine compared him to Oprah Winfrey and film directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
“Silvio Santos was the greatest personality in the history of Brazilian television, and one of the country’s greatest communicators,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on X. “His departure leaves a void on Brazilian television and marks the end of an era,” he claimed.
Santos was better known by his stage name, Senor Abravanel, despite being born in the rowdy Lapa neighborhood of downtown Rio de Janeiro. As an adolescent, he sold pens and plastic sleeves for electoral identification cards and performed coin and card tricks.
His sales pitches were so entertaining that he was invited to audition for the radio host position. He moved from station to station in Rio and found journalistic fame in Sao Paulo after serving in the military. His first television job was in the early 1960s with the Globo network, then TV Paulista, where the “Silvio Santos Program” was born.
About a decade later, he purchased his first television concession and began to develop an empire. He established SBT, which by 2021 was the third most-watched network among the country’s 214 million inhabitants.
Not all of his quips were warmly received. He was regularly accused of misogyny for making comments about women’s attractiveness that made them uncomfortable. He declined to embrace female celebrities on his show in at least two instances, stating that he did not want to become “excited.” In 2016, he asked a 5-year-old girl on air which she preferred: sex, drugs, or money. However, as the proprietor of his network, he never received any penalties.
Santos also had businesses in cosmetics, hotels, and even a bank. Forbes estimated Santos’ net worth from 30 firms to be 2 billion reais (about $380 million) in 2020.
His tremendous appeal, not to mention his power over the radio, garnered the attention of political parties who considered running him for office. He tested the waters in 1989 by launching a presidential campaign, but the electoral commission rejected his candidature due to his television network ownership.
Nonetheless, he maintained a close relationship with officials and hosted “The President’s Week” for 15 years. It featured favorable accomplishments by the leader and was put to music of trumpets and drums. The article praised the achievements of João Figueiredo, the last general to command Brazil during the dictatorship, and Fernando Henrique Cardoso at the turn of the century.
Later, Presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff took part in a documentary on Santos, which will be screened in 2021 to commemorate SBT’s 40th anniversary.
Brazilian Entertaining Legend Silvio Santos Dies At 93
Fabio Faria, one of his sons-in-law, was appointed minister of communications by President Jair Bolsonaro.
In January 2022, Faria shared a black-and-white movie about Santos’ career on Instagram, narrated by the presenter himself.
“I’m just a street peddler in a suit and tie selling my products, ads, and programs,” the presenter stated in the video. “I also believe it’s the voice, and there’s something mysterious about it.” Because it is the voice that impacts the audience, and you who are on the other end.”
Santos was survived by his wife, Iris Abravanel, and six daughters.
SOURCE | AP
