Have you heard of the “Old Man of Havan”? Well, that nickname has practically become synonymous with Luciano Hang—the businessman who built one of Brazil’s largest retail chains. But behind this controversial public figure lies a story far more interesting than it seems.

Luciano Hang’s full name is simply Luciano Hang, born on October 11, 1962, in Brusque, Santa Catarina. It’s not exactly the kind of background you’d expect from someone who would become a billionaire, is it? The son of textile workers, he grew up in an environment where entrepreneurship was taken seriously. But there’s one detail that few know: Hang faced dyslexia in childhood, which made his early learning quite difficult. Even so, he managed to recover, studied Data Processing at the Regional University of Blumenau, and moved forward.

The commercial spirit showed up early. At just 17 years old, he started at the Carlos Renaux Textile Factory where his parents worked. Three years later, at 21, he had already acquired Santa Cruz Weaving. Was he too young? Maybe. But it worked.

Havan was born in 1986 when Hang partnered with Vanderlei de Lima to open a small fabric store. The name came from the combination of the two founders. Later, Hang bought out his partner’s stake and ran the business on his own. What began as a little fabric shop grew into something much bigger. The company evolved into a department store, expanded to other cities, launched e-commerce in 2003, and by 2017 already had 100 stores across Brazil.

Havan’s stores became famous not only for retail, but also for their eccentric architecture. Casa Branca, replicas of the Statue of Liberty, a very particular design. This turned into a trademark—whether for better or for worse.

As for the numbers: Luciano Hang has amassed an estimated fortune of about US$ 3.2 billion, according to Forbes, placing him among Brazil’s richest billionaires. Much of it comes from Havan, but he also has a stake in shopping centers, energy distributors, and media investments. Curiously, despite its massive revenue, Havan has never gone public on B3. In 2021, valuation estimates circulated around R$ 45 billion, but the initial public offering never left the drawing board.

Now, what really made Luciano Hang become an internet celebrity was something else. Starting in 2017, he began appearing in campaigns for his own company—in videos—and that’s when the nickname “Old Man of Havan” was born. At first it was kind of meant to mock, but the guy was smart and turned it into a marketing strategy. It worked extremely well.

In recent years, Hang has also gained space in political debate. He publicly supported Jair Bolsonaro in 2018 and 2022, generating both admirers and critics. His statements went viral several times, putting him at the center of Brazilian political controversies.

Luciano Hang’s full story is basically the tale of how someone turns a small regional store into a national retail empire. More than three decades in business, hundreds of stores, thousands of employees. No matter what you think about his political positions or his eccentric style, it’s undeniable that he left his mark on Brazilian retail. Today, the “Old Man of Havan” is one of the country’s most influential and recognizable entrepreneurs—for better or for worse.