Edir Macedo
Edir Macedo ( born February 18, 1945 in Rio das Flores, State of Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian entrepreneur and the founder of the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus IURD. He is among other things Owner of the Brazilian TV station Rede Record, which he bought in 1989 for 45 million U.S. dollars.
Life
After leaving school, Macedo worked as lottery retailers in Brazil. Macedo left the Roman Catholic Church because he had previously experienced an emotional disappointment in his private life. He then in 1977 founded an independent Pentecostal church, the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus ( German: Universal Church of the Kingdom of God) in Rio de Janeiro.
Edir Macedo, who calls himself a bishop, not only preach the love of God; the founder of the fundamentalist Free Church is also a master at driving in donations. The "Universal Church " is roughly eight million members worldwide one of the largest churches in Brazil and is urging the Catholic Church further and further behind. In five thousand centers million believers are indoctrinated with questionable methods. Although he was always involved in scandals, flourishes his " kingdom of God " magnificent. 2009 came Macedo in an affair because Spendenveruntreuung and was accused of forming a criminal association of the Brazilian public prosecutor. It was about about 1.5 billion euros, inter alia, the "Universal Church " between 2003 and 2008 in a roundabout way in Brazilian companies should have invested in jewelry. Since then determine the prosecutor's offices in New York City and São Paulo due to unclear financial transactions together against the Universal Church. End of April 2010 said two foreign exchange dealers of, between 1995 and 2001 about 5 million reals ( 2.2 million euros ) to have funneled monthly illegally from Brazil to the United States. Overall, it came to about 400 million reals ( 180 million euros ).
The prosecution held before the movement to have donations used with the help of foreign shell companies for the development of media organizations. The Brazilian Constitution allows religious organizations only to finance facilities for religious practice. To Macedo's church is one of the television station Rede Record, several radio stations and three newspapers, as well as a travel company and an air taxi airline. Their political arm, the Republican Party of Brazil is represented in Parliament by 35 MPs and supported the former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In their media, the "Universal Church " described the indictment as a smear campaign. Earlier investigations into the church for embezzlement and tax evasion had been unsuccessful.
Built empire
A large part of the assets comes from donations: The Universal Church requires of its believers at least ten percent of income that should be used but only for religious purposes. Macedo was in jail because he has distinguished himself as exorcists, healers and charlatan. He whips the faithful emotionally so on, that it often leads to mass hysteria. Several times he filled the largest football stadium in Rio with hundreds of thousands of followers. Thousands threw at services goggles and poles on the lawn, because they believed in their euphoria, they were healed.
On his own TV channels can be cult leader Macedo believer occur, claiming to be cured of AIDS, cancer and paralysis. Macedo has also founded a party that represents the National Congressman. His supporters hold political offices up to the Vice President of the country.
Macedo lives with his family in New York City. His fortune is estimated at between 950 million and 1.2 billion U.S. dollars.