Dream Big

My friend - and now partner - Jorge Paulo and his team are among the best businessmen in the world. He is a fantastic person and his story should be an inspiration to everybody, as it is for me." - Warren Buffett

In just over forty years, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Telles and Beto Sicupira built the biggest empire in the history of Brazilian capitalism and launched themselves o...

My friend - and now partner - Jorge Paulo and his team are among the best businessmen in the world. He is a fantastic person and his story should be an inspiration to everybody, as it is for me." - Warren Buffett

In just over forty years, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Telles and Beto Sicupira built the biggest empire in the history of Brazilian capitalism and launched themselves onto the world stage in an unprecedented way.

Over the past five years, they have acquired no fewer than three globally-recognized American brands: Budweiser, Burger King and Heinz. This has been achieved as discreetly as possible and they have shunned any personal publicity.

The management method they developed, which has been zealously followed by their employees, is based on meritocracy, simplicity and constant cost cutting.

Their culture is as efficient as it is merciless and leaves no room for mediocre performances. On the other hand, those who bring in exceptional results have the chance to become company partners and make a fortune.

Dream Big presents a detailed behind-the-scenes portrait of the meteoric rise of these three businessmen, from the founding of Banco Garantia in the 1970s to the present day.

In 1971, when the Brazilian stock market was going through an euphoria, Harvard graduate, tennis champion and underwater fishing enthusiast from Rio de Janeiro Jorge Paulo Lemann decided to start a new business. He assembled some partners and put out a newspaper ad: "Brokerage wanted." Days later, Lemann began running what would become the cornerstone of his fortune and those of over 200 other people. Its name was Garantia.

The "Garantia model" was based on businesses that impressed Lemann, such as Goldman Sachs in finance and Walmart in retail. Its philosophy gave the best workers the opportunity to become shareholders.

作者：

克里斯蒂娜·柯利娅，巴西资深记者、知名的商业和管理咨询顾问。供职巴西最畅销的商业杂志《检视》（Exame）执行编辑12余年。其间她参与了几十篇针对巴西大型公司的深度报告。

译者：

王仁荣，法学博士，百威英博亚太区副总裁。2003年加入百威英博，和雷曼、马塞尔、贝托3G“三剑客”相识、共事13年，先后参与了“英特布鲁收购美洲饮料”“英博收购百威”以及世纪并购“百威英博收购南非米勒”等一系列大型跨境并购案。他也是百威英博在中国及亚太地区并购扩张的亲历者。