Marcelo Odebrecht was born in 1956 in Salvador, Brazil.
He comes from a prominent Brazilian family, being the son of Eike Batista, a billionaire businessman.
Marcelo Odebrecht graduated in civil engineering from the Federal University of Bahia.
He began his career in the construction industry, eventually becoming the CEO of the Odebrecht Group.
The Odebrecht Group is a multinational construction company founded by his father in 1944.
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Early Life
Marcelo Odebrecht was born in October 1968. His family has a long history in Brazil, tracing back to German immigrants who arrived in the 1850s.
He is the son of Emílio Odebrecht and Regina Bahia, and the grandson of Norberto Odebrecht, the founder of the company. Marcelo's family has a strong presence in Brazil's business landscape.
Marcelo graduated as an engineer from the Universidad Federal da Bahia (UFBA).
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Lava Jato Scandal: Prison Sentence Served
Marcelo Odebrecht, the former head of South America's biggest construction company, has finally served his prison sentence for corruption. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison, but his sentence was reduced to seven years after he made a plea bargain and worked in the administrative sector of a hospital.
Odebrecht was found guilty of 11 counts of bribery and 40 counts of money laundering in relation to a system of kickbacks that his company allegedly paid to senior executives at Petrobras. He was also accused of being the "mastermind" of the scheme.
Marcelo Odebrecht spent the last two years working at the Hospital de Clínicas in São Paulo, three times a week, as part of his sentence-reducing activities. He was doing community work, helping to reduce his sentence.
The Lava Jato investigation uncovered a network of overpricing and bribes paid by construction companies in exchange for contracts to several Petrobras officials and employees. Money was also used to finance political party campaigns.
In total, 57 executives of the Odebrecht firm adhered to the plea bargain to reduce their sentences. Many of them, including Alexandrino Alencar, denounced that they were pressured by the prosecution to involve President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in their testimony.
Here's a brief timeline of Marcelo Odebrecht's involvement in the Lava Jato scandal:
- 2015: Marcelo Odebrecht was arrested as part of the Lava Jato investigation.
- 2016: He was sentenced to 19 years in prison, but made a plea bargain and reduced his sentence to seven years.
- 2021: Marcelo Odebrecht was released from jail and went on house arrest at his São Paulo mansion.
- 2023: He completed his sentence and was fully released from jail.
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