M. Safra & Co.

M. Safra & Co.

M. Safra & Co. was established in 1998 as the dedicated investment vehicle for the Safra family, the force behind Banco Safra. The firm operates from headquarters in São Paulo with a significant presence in New York, directly managing a diversified portfolio on behalf of family members including Ezra Safra, Managing Director and Partner, and Edmond M. Safra, whose operational roles extend into entities like EMS Capital. The firm deploys capital across public and private markets with a mandate to outperform its benchmark over the long term. Asset classes include equities, real estate, and private credit. Confirmed positions include trophy New York properties at 660 Madison Avenue and 7 East 96th Street, as well as a historical stake in the GM Building. The portfolio also contains alternative assets, notably a life settlements portfolio. The firm expanded its scope in 2008 by opening its strategies to external co-investors, managing that capital through the same internal team and discipline, and maintains a presence in both Brazilian and US markets. Team size is undisclosed, but the firm emphasizes recruitment of talent from global financial centers to support its growing exposure to new markets. Dual headquarters in São Paulo and New York anchor this trans-American operation. The family’s influence extends into adjacent vehicles: Jacob M. Safra leads M.Y. Safra Bank, while Edmond M. Safra founded EMS Capital. A family connection to art finance exists through Edmond’s marriage to Marielle Nahmad, daughter of dealer David Nahmad. The Moise Y. Safra Foundation handles the family’s philanthropic activities, alongside assets like the Moise Safra Judaica Collection and the Moise Safra Center on East 82nd Street. The firm’s architecture stands apart because it functioned as a pure family office for a full decade before admitting external capital, a sequence that embedded a proprietary-house culture before any fiduciary duty to outsiders. This late gate-opening, paired with continuous oversight by family members operating across multiple named vehicles, creates an investment platform where succession and permanent capital are engineered into the structure rather than layered on through conventional fund cycles.