The Biggest Celebrity to Ever Live in Celebration Florida

The town of Celebration in Florida is a place that attracts many people including celebrities due to its beautiful 20th-century architectural style and peaceful environment, but do you know who is the biggest celebrity that has ever lived in our town? I do understand that considering a person a celebrity can be subjective, however, when a country with a territory almost as big as the United States considers someone to be the greatest personality in the history of television, I would say that this person is indeed the biggest celebrity to ever live in our town. That country is Brazil and that name is Silvio Santos.

 

The Man Behind the Name

He was famous by his stage name of Silvio Santos but his real name was Senor Abravanel. He was the son of a father of Greek Jewish descent and a mother of Turkish Jewish heritage, who grew up in the neighborhood of Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started as a street vendor at the age of 14 in the 1940's in downtown Rio and went on to become the biggest TV host of all time. He was the owner of Grupo Silvio Santos that included his own TV channel called “SBT” which is the second largest television network in Brazil. His net worth was USD $2.3 billion in 2013. It is impossible to find a person in Brazil who does not know who Silvio Santos is.

 

 

His Charisma

He connected with the audience like no other TV host. He had an ear-to-ear smile. His laugh was something that can’t be explained in words other than if he was laughing, the entire room was laughing, as was everyone watching him at home. He had a very charismatic personality, a very unique style and a voice like no other. He was considered one of the most influential and beloved people in Brazil. His famous catchphrase was “Who wants money?” and every Sunday the entire country would be watching him in his several shows and contests. He became part of Brazilian history.

 

 

Life in Brazil

He lived in the prominent neighborhood of Morumbi in São Paulo which should be similar to the quality of life of the United States. However, he used his platform to criticize aspects of life in Brazil including poverty, inequality, lack of access to basic services, all which contributed to higher crime rates in Brazil. In 2001, one of his daughters was kidnapped but thankfully returned unharmed. Once, Silvio Santos himself was held hostage at gunpoint in his own home. He often expressed his dream for Brazilians to be able to enjoy a similar standard of living as people in the United States.

 

 Photo: Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil

 

His Love for Celebration

He was a resident of Celebration and he found comfort and joy in being in our town. He spent months each year in his Celebration home with his wife and pets enjoying the simple things in life. In Celebration, he was able to live a more “normal” life away from the big crowds of fans and most importantly away from the constant threat of crime. He was sometimes seen at the Publix on Blake Road while shopping in his pajamas or enjoying dinner at downtown Celebration with his family.  He would interact with the few Brazilian fans who were lucky to spot him, he gave autographs and took pictures.

 

 Photo: Silvio Santos with wife and pets in front of their Celebration home.

 

 Photo: Silvio Santos and wife at the Italian restaurant in downtown Celebration, Reggiano's of Celebration.

 

Many people in Brazil know about Celebration because of Silvio Santos. If he liked living here, then it must be a great town. He passed away in August of 2024 at the age of 93. Even though he’s no longer with us, his legacy lives on and the Abravanel family continues to be a big part of our Celebration community. He was a very smart man to have been able to build his empire from nothing but he was a smarter man for having discovered the beauty of Celebration.

 

 Photo: After Silvio Santos' passing, fans left flowers in front of his home in Celebration.

 

 Photo: Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil dressed as Silvio Santos as a tribute after his passing.

 

Valeu Silvio!