How Daniel Vorcaro built a media influence network and what it means for real estate investment
- Messages and documents reveal Vorcaro’s ties to media outlets, influencers and investors, as well as attempts to interfere with editorial decisions
Beyond politicians, financial institutions and real estate companies, Daniel Vorcaro had another card to play: the media. Brazil Journal, Globo, Metrópoles, IstoÉ and other media companies were in the former banker’s pocket.
His influence extended well beyond banners and advertising. Vorcaro actively edited, suggested and blocked stories, something that runs against the principle of editorial independence in professional journalism. One of the most recent cases involves Brazil Journal.
Flávio Carneiro, a businessman close to Vorcaro and an investor in businesses linked to Brazil Journal, was one of the former banker’s main intermediaries in the media sector. Vorcaro received stories in advance, suggested changes in approach and even discussed which photographs should be used.
The relationship between Carneiro and Vorcaro was structured through Foone Empreendimentos. The company appears to have functioned as a kind of investment vehicle for media assets: in 2023, it acquired 49.86% of BJ Conteúdo, Brazil Journal’s video and events arm, and also became a shareholder in PlatôBR.
The same kind of proximity appeared at outlets such as Metrópoles, Portal LeoDias and even inside Brazil’s largest media conglomerate, Grupo Globo.
Direct influence
Messages found by the Federal Police show that, at Metrópoles, Vorcaro received stories before publication and requested changes to reports. The relationship was also commercial: companies linked to the banker negotiated tens of millions of reais in advertising and sponsorship deals with the group.
At Grupo Globo, the relationship ran through Frederic Kachar, then head of Print Media and Radio. After the conversations with Vorcaro became public, the company described the relationship as inappropriate and dismissed the executive.
The influence strategy also reached social media. Documents from the so-called “Project DV” point to contracts and payments involving accounts such as Cardoso Mundo, Marcelo Rennó and Alfinetei, as well as planned deals with Luiz Bacci and entertainment pages. The Federal Police also identified 22 accounts that published similar content questioning the actions of the Central Bank.
The strategy also reached profiles tied to the investment world. Financial education influencers such as Carol and André Dias appeared in the campaign mapping, while conversations found on Vorcaro’s phone show an attempt to hire Renoir Vieira, a content creator focused on financial markets. Gabriela Prioli also published videos about Banco Master’s assets and the protection offered by the FGC, although she denies having been hired by the bank.
The significance of this influence becomes even clearer when viewed through the real estate investment market. Reputation and risk perception can directly affect the ability to raise capital, sell assets, attract investors or support valuations.
Vorcaro had exposure to precisely this market through companies, funds and properties linked to his group. Access to stories, the ability to suggest angles or block negative coverage could shape perceptions around businesses and assets that depended on market confidence.
Brazil Journal and Metrópoles, for example, directly reach investors, executives and other professionals who make capital allocation decisions.
Buying into media companies
Messages obtained by the Federal Police indicate that Foone was also discussed by Vorcaro and Carneiro as a way to structure stakes in media companies through third parties.
In one of the conversations that later became public, the two even discussed creating a new company to organize investments related to Brazil Journal without directly exposing certain shareholders.
CNN Brasil also appeared in the investigation. Vorcaro negotiated the possibility of becoming a shareholder in the company in 2024, while also discussing sponsorship agreements related to CNN Money. The equity investment, however, never materialized. CNN says Vorcaro was never a shareholder and did not participate in editorial decisions.
Ethics are non-negotiable
REsource is SiiLA’s news platform and operates with editorial independence, grounded in reporting, data and transparency. Here, commercial relationships do not buy editorial lines, advertisers do not edit stories, and investors do not decide what can or cannot be published.
Our commitment is to information — and to the professionals who rely on it to make decisions in the real estate market.
