GAME SET MATCH The Story of Jorge Paulo Lemann

FROM DAIRY TO DAVIS CUP TO HARVARD

Born in 1939, Lemann was the son of Swiss immigrants who had moved from Switzerland to Brazil. His father, Paul Lemann had founded the dairy manufacturing company known as Leco, the reins of which Jorge would take over some time in the future. While attending the American School of Rio de Janeiro, Lemann was seen as the smartest and most talented in his class. Yet it wasn’t just his grades that impressed, he was also a fantastic athlete and excelled at surfing and tennis. He was so good at tennis that he would eventually become a five-time national champion and via his dual citizenship, represented both Brazil and Switzerland in the Davis Cup. It was after competing at Wimbledon that Lemann stopped pursuing his tennis ambitions. In another decision that speaks volumes for his levels of determination, he moved onto another career path in which he could become the best in the world, finance. He was accepted to Harvard in 1958 to study economics, a rare feat for a young Brazilian at the time. According to the book Dream Big, which tells the behind the success story of The Three Musketeers, Lemann didn’t