The World of Eike Batista

Batista: Bloomberg/El Tiempo de Colombia/Newscom; Mercedes-Benz Slr Mclaren: istock; Pershing 115: Courtesy of Pershing, Mr. Lam: Courtesy of Mr. Lam; Hotel Gloria: Arquivo / Agência O Globo; Angra Dos Reis: Splash News/Newscom

What the Brazilian billionaire, Latin America’s second-wealthiest man, keeps close to his heart.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
A luxurious $1.2 million Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren literally sits in the lounge of Batista’s Jardim Botanico mansion in Rio de Janeiro. (He also presented his son Thor with a 420,000 real X6 pick-up truck.)

Pershing 115 Luxury Yacht
As a former speed-boat racing champion, Batista now owns a $19 million Pershing 115 luxury yacht. In the Rio Gloria marina, his “Pink Fleet” yacht can be rented for parties.

The X Factor
Superstition is a big part of Batista’s personality. Apart from his obsessions with the letter X letter (most of his companies’ names are initials, including the letter X as a symbol of multiplying wealth) and the number 63, Batista also displays crystals, cinnamon sticks and other items to keep bad fate at bay. He is also famous for drinking a cocktail of anti-aging vitamins and for following feng shui practices.

Mr. Lam
Mr. Lam is an upscale Chinese restaurant co-owned by Sik Chung Lam, a chef, and Batista. The restaurant has a view of the Rio lagoon and serves a classic, Beijing-inspired menu.

Hotel Gloria
Eike Batista bought the Hotel Gloria, a Rio landmark, in 2008 for $50 million when  the property was clearly falling apart. The historic hotel (shown here in this archive photo) opened in 1922 and guests have included Albert Einstein and several heads of state. A refurbishing is underway and is expected to be complete in 2013.

Angra dos Reis Mansion
Despite his ambition to become the richest man in the world, Batista is not conspicuous about his wealth and avoids showing up at social occasions (especially after his failed marriage to Carnival star Luiza Brunet). He’d rather chill out at some of his properties, such as his mansion in the resort area of Angra dos Reis in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro state.