Abilio Diniz’s body is laid to rest at the Morumbis Stadium, in the South Zone of SP

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Businessman died on Sunday night (18) from respiratory failure due to pneumonitis. Ceremony started at 8am and will be open to the public from 11am. Businessman Abílio Diniz died this Sunday (18), aged 87, in São Paulo, victim of respiratory failure due to pneumonitis. EPITÁCIO PESSOA/ESTADÃO CONTENT The body of businessman Abílio Diniz is laid to rest this Monday morning (19) in the Noble Hall of the Morumbis Stadium, of São Paulo Futebol Clube, his favorite team. From 11 am, the ceremony will be open to the public. The burial will be reserved for family members only. The businessman died this Sunday (18), aged 87, in São Paulo, victim of respiratory failure due to pneumonitis. Abílio Diniz dies aged 87 in São Paulo Alongside his father, he built the Pão de Açúcar group and headed one of the largest food companies in the world. He was hospitalized for a month at the Albert Einstein hospital, in the South Zone of São Paulo. He leaves five children, wife, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Son of Valentim and Floripes, Abilio Diniz was born in the Paraíso neighborhood, in the South Zone of São Paulo, in December 1936. The first of six children in a family of Portuguese origin, he lived in the back of a grocery store. READ ALSO: Authorities and entities mourn the death of businessman In 1948, as a boy, he helped his father open a sweet shop, called Pão de Açúcar. It was the beginning of the construction of an empire in honor of the postcard of Rio de Janeiro, the first image that the father saw when arriving in Brazil by ship. Having graduated in business administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Diniz thought about specializing in the United States, but his father’s invitation spoke louder, and in 1959, they opened the first Pão de Açúcar store, on Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, in the heart of São Paulo. Abilio Diniz in photo from 2018 Reuters/Paulo Whitaker At the end of the 1960s, there were already more than 60 stores in 17 cities. In 1971, Diniz opened Jumbo, the first hypermarket in Brazil. Five years later, with a loan from BNDES, he bought Eletroradiobraz, and continued buying, growing and innovating. Diniz was also the first to create a supermarket in a shopping mall and to open its stores 24 hours a day. He was one of the founders of the Brazilian supermarket association and was one of the pioneers in creating Brazilian trainee programs, a way to recruit and train talent in business. Businessman Abílio Diniz dies at age 87 But one of the country’s greatest business leaders also experienced crises and was at the center of conflicts. For ten years he was a member of the national currency board. In 1987, with Pão de Açúcar and the country plunged into an economic crisis, he sold his imposing headquarters and returned to the building where it all began. Abilio Diniz in an interview with GloboNews in 2016 GloboNews In 1989, another setback. Diniz was kidnapped while driving to work and spent a week in the hands of kidnappers, nine foreigners and one Brazilian. The police discovered the captivity, but the release only occurred after a long negotiation. In 1991, Pão de Açúcar paid its debts and made a profit. Diniz prepared to face international retail giants in Brazil. In 1995, he took Pão de Açúcar public and, with cash on hand, went back to buying smaller supermarkets, until he found an international shareholder, the French group Casino. Afterwards, he decided to professionalize the group’s administration and remove his children from the succession. He entered the electronics business through retail and, after 54 years, left the Pão de Açúcar group in 2013. “It’s a very important day today for me and my family. It’s the day I’m handing over control of the Pão de Açúcar group. Sugar for the Casino group”, he said at the time. Afterwards, he headed BRF – one of the largest food companies in the world – and created an investment company, which bought shares in Carrefour. Abilio Diniz when announcing his departure from Grupo Pão de Açúcar, in 2013 Simone Cunha/G1 Always a sportsman, he was three-time Brazilian motorboat champion, in 1970, and won, with his brother Alcides, the Interlagos miles. With this, he created a portal about healthy habits, which inspired the book “Paths and choices: balance for a happier life”. Married to Auriluce, he had four children: Ana Maria, João Paulo, Pedro Paulo and Adriana. After his marriage to Geyse Marchesi, he had two more: Rafaela and Miguel. In 2022, he lost his son João Paulo, aged 58, to a heart attack, in Paraty, Rio. At the time, Diniz wrote: “Every time I look at this photo I get emotional. More than father and son, we were almost brothers , two great friends.” João Paulo and his father, Abilio Diniz Reproduction: Facebook/ João Paulo Diniz Adept at the discipline of sport and boldness in business, Abilio Diniz became one of the most important Brazilian businessmen and said he saw a future of greatness and leadership for the country as well. “This country is very big, very strong and I have no doubt that we will move forward”, he said in 2016. Family note “It is with extreme regret that the Diniz family announces the death of Abilio Diniz at the age of 87 this Sunday, 18th February 2024, victim of respiratory failure due to pneumonitis. The businessman leaves behind five children, wife, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and will meet his son João Paulo, who passed away in 2022. The family thanks you in advance for all the messages of support and affection.”

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