Brazilian TV show host and entrepreneur. Silvio Santos is a stage name, his real name is Senor Abravanel. He is the owner of SBT, the second largest television network in the country. He is of Sephardi Jewish descent and was born to a Turkish mother and a Greek father. Despite his humble beginnings, working as a street vendor, he had a strong affinity for artistic endeavors and took up jobs on the radio, circus and television.
He became the major TV host in Brazil. His greatest achievement was founding SBT in 1981, where he still hosts various programs. His business, Grupo Sílvio Santos (GSS), also owns agribusiness ventures and hotels. He is the single biggest taxpayer natural person in Brazil. Additionally, Santos is known as a benefactor of the Jewish community.
He has influenced Brazilian television in many ways, particularly by producing local versions of popular international formats such as Celebrity Big Brother, Candid Camera, The Biggest Loser, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Deal or No Deal, the RTL Idols franchise, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He also was the host of Show do Milhão, a game show also broadcast by ITV in England. The show received was later ported to some videogames.
Silvio Santos has 6 daughters and 19 granddaughters. His daughter Patricia Abravanel (born 4 October 1979) was kidnapped in August 2001 in Sao Paulo. The family paid a ransom of 200.000 US$.
Link to Wikipedia biography