Moise Jacob Safra (Arabic: موسى يَعْقُوب صفرا ; April 5, 1934 – June 15, 2014) was a Lebanese-Brazilian businessman and philanthropist of Syrian descent.[3] He co-founded Banco Safra with his brothers Edmond Safra and Joseph Safra.
Early life
Moise Safra was born on April 5, 1934, in Beirut, Lebanon,[1] into a family of Sephardic Jewish background originally from Aleppo, in modern Syria, and was the son of Jacob Safra.[4][5][6] The family's history in banking originated with caravan trade between Alexandria and Constantinople during the Ottoman Empire. The family relocated from Aleppo to Beirut after the First World War as Beirut was home to an already thriving Jewish community.[4] Eventually, the Safras decided to move to Brazil in 1952. In 1955, Moise's 23-year-old brother, Edmond Safra, and their father, Jacob, started working in Brazil by financing letters of credit for trade in São Paulo.[4]
Career
He established himself in Brazil where he acquired citizenship and founded Banco Safra with his brothers Edmond and Joseph Safra.[4] He was also a prominent Jewish philanthropist.[4]
Death
He died on June 14, 2014, reportedly from heart failure, at the age of 80. He was buried at the Cemitério Israelita do Butantã [pt] in São Paulo, Brazil. He was survived by his wife Chella Cohen Safra and five children: Jacob Moise Safra, Azuri "Ezra" Moise Safra, Edmundo "Edmond" Moise Safra, Esther Safra Szajman (married to Claudio Szajman, son of Abram Szajman [pt]), and Olga Safra.[4][7]
