A ndre Esteves is one of Brazil's most brilliant and controversial financiers, known for his aggressive dealmaking and for building BTG Pactual into the largest independent investment bank in Latin America. He began his career as a systems analyst at the investment bank Pactual and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a partner at a young age. In 2006, he and his partners sold Pactual to UBS, making him a fortune.

Just two years later, in a bold move, Esteves led a group to buy back Pactual from UBS and merged it with his new firm, BTG, to create the modern BTG Pactual. He took the bank public in 2012 and expanded it into a major force in investment banking, asset management, and wealth management across the region. His career was dramatically interrupted in 2015 when he was arrested in connection with Brazil's massive "Car Wash" corruption scandal. He was later acquitted of all charges and, after a period away, returned to a leadership role at the bank, successfully rebuilding its reputation and his own.