Wesley Batista

About Wesley Batista

Wesley Batista is one of two billionaire brothers who control publicly traded JBS S.A., one of the world's largest meat processing companies.

Their father, Jose Batista Sobrinho, founded a small butcher shop in central Brazil in 1953. It grew by acquiring slaughterhouses in the region.

Wesley and his brother Joesley took control in the 2000s, leading JBS's 2007 acquisition of U.S. pork and beef processor Swift & Co. for $225 million.

His son, Wesley Batista Filho, became a director in the company's U.S. division in May 2023.

In 2017 Wesley was arrested as part of a large Brazilian bribery probe and reportedly held for six months.

In May 2017, the brothers agreed to pay a $3.2 billion fine to Brazilian authorities to atone for their role in a large corruption scandal.