I'm thinking about João Doria's career path because it is almost a manual on how to navigate between business and politics in Brazil. This guy was born in 1957, the son of an influential advertising executive, and from an early age was immersed in this world of communication and power. He had to leave the country during the dictatorship when his father was ousted, spent about ten years in France, and returned with a much more global perspective.

What stands out is how João Doria built his career before turning to politics. He wasn't just a random name who entered politics. He worked at TV Tupi, Bandeirantes, hosted shows like Show Business and The Apprentice. But the big differentiator was the creation of LIDE — this group that brings together more than 1,700 companies and executives, representing a huge slice of the private GDP. That’s no small feat. It’s high-level networking that connects entrepreneurs with public authorities.

When João Doria finally entered politics, he already had all this experience. He started as Secretary of Tourism in São Paulo, then was president of Embratur, joined the PSDB in 2001, and in 2016 was elected mayor of São Paulo. Two years later, he became governor. His management was marked by a discourse of efficiency and modernization, somewhat liberal indeed.

But the moment that really put João Doria in the national spotlight was during the pandemic. The guy led vaccination initiatives, defended restriction measures when necessary, and even publicly broke with Bolsonaro. This solidified his image as a pragmatic manager, even though he faced criticism.

In 2022, he resigned from office to run for president but ended up withdrawing from the race and returning to the private sector. Before all that, in 2018, João Doria declared assets worth more than R$189 million, making him one of the wealthiest politicians in Brazil at the time. His wealth mainly came from media companies, events, and stakes in LIDE.

What’s interesting to analyze is how someone like João Doria manages to move between these worlds. He understands personal branding, relationship-building, and how to position himself. For those who follow the market and politics, his trajectory clearly shows the connections between economic power, institutional influence, and how these things shape Brazil.