7 Stories about Silvio Santos that you probably don’t know

He is the most popular presenter on Brazilian TV. He built an empire that includes not just SBT, but other brands and business ventures that have been successful over the decades — and still are today. But there are, however, lesser-known stories about the trajectory of Silvio Santos🇧🇷 Stories that go beyond those told to exhaustion, such as that he was once a street vendor.

We now invite you to learn more stories and curiosities about Silvio, who will turn 88 in December. come with the awesome.club learn more about the entrepreneur and presenter.

The first time Silvio Santos appeared on television was on February 7, 1958, on the extinct TV Paulista, which in 1968 was renamed TV Globo (that’s right). He presented the ‘Hit Parade’, which showed the main musical hits of the moment, from singers such as Ângela Maria and Cauby Peixoto. On the station, Silvio also presented other programs, such as “Vamos Brincar de Forca”.

In 1962, four years after debuting as a presenter, he started to command an attraction with his name, the “Silvio Santos Program”. In 1965, when Roberto Marinho bought TV Paulista, it started to be shown by TV Globo, initially only in the city of São Paulo. In 1969, when it started to be broadcast in Rio de Janeiro, it lasted almost eight hours, with games like “Só Compra Quem Tem” and “Risca Tudo”.

On May 14, 1976, TVS, Silvio Santos’ first broadcaster, went on the air. Initially broadcast only to Rio de Janeiro, it was the beginning of what would become, five years later, in 1981, SBT. The acronym TVS stands for TV Studios Silvio Santos. When the Federal Government opened a bid for channel 11 in Rio, Silvio was encouraged by Manuel da Nóbrega, father of Carlos Alberto de Nóbrega, to try to win the competition. His victory was announced in December 1975.

In 1989, in the first direct election for president in 29 years, Silvio Santos was convinced by a group of parliamentarians to run as a candidate during the campaign. The presenter’s fragile electoral record, however, led to contestations from opponents, among them Fernando Collor de Melo (PRN), who would end up being elected. The campaign was so improvised that Silvio taught, at election time, that his name would not appear on the ballot, but that of Armando Corrêa, whom he replaced as a candidate. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE), however, ended up canceling the candidacy.

That’s right. Silvio Santos is the artistic name of Senor Abravanel. Silvio is the son of an immigrant couple, a Turkish and a Greek: Rebeca and Alberto Abravanel. But he was born on December 12, 1930, in Rio de Janeiro. He served in the army in the late 1940s as a paratrooper.

The story is known that Silvio Santos began his professional life in his teens, as a street vendor. But do you know what he sold? There were two products, basically: pens and cases to put voter registration. The idea for the capes was even Silvio himself, watching people during an election day, when he was still 14 years old.

Do you also have the feeling that “Topa Tudo por Dinheiro” was on the air for decades? Well, it was just ten years, from 1991 to 2001. Marked by its pranks and by playing with the audience, the attraction was also famous for the catchphrase “Who wants money?”, which Silvio spoke to his “audience classmates” before each frame or when he threw little money planes into the audience. “Topa Tudo” even bothered TV Globo, leading the audience on Sunday nights. It even returned to be shown within other programs, but never again as an independent attraction.

And you, are you a fan of Silvio Santos? Do you know any good stories about him? Tell us. O awesome.club wants to know your favorite facts about the owner of SBT. Leave your comment!