Edson de Godoy Bueno

Shoe shiner-turned-doctor-turned-billionaire entrepreneur, today he presides over publicly-traded Amil Participações S.A., the largest managed care organization in Brazil (market cap: $3.8 billion), providing health insurance and medical care to more than 5 million members. New billionaire this year. Decided to become a doctor at age 14, studied for medical degree at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro while working at a struggling clinic, which he bought before graduating in 1971. Acquired other clinics soon after, and co-founded Amil Assistência Médica in 1978. In August 2010 negotiated the merger of MD1, his diagnostic company, with Dasa, the largest chain of laboratories in Latin America. Shares assets with ex-wife, Dulce Pugliese de Godoy Bueno, but retains voting rights to her shareholdings.