Following in the footsteps of his father — who put together the pieces of a vast iron ore extraction and export operation that today takes the shape of mining conglomerate Vale — Batista built up his EBX empire of companies, covering mining, logistics, oil and gas and offshore industries, among others. Batista’s star reached a zenith in 2008 when he sold part of his iron ore business to Anglo-American for a cool $5.5 billion. The ambitions of Batista’s business projects seemed to know no bounds and he revelled in his portrayal as one of the richest men in the world who was also changing the face of his favourite city, Rio de Janeiro.