Luiz Costa Macambira has led quite a life, walking the impressive yet off-beaten path from renown coffee tycoon to globetrotting media mogul. Today, he is settled in the Principality of Monaco, where the visionary Monegasque entrepreneur and CEO recently played matchmaker when he orchestrated the ultimate luxury marriage between two of the most iconic brands in the world: Forbes magazine and Monaco.
As I sit down to interview Costa Macambira in his favourite Monaco café, it’s evident that the diminutive yet larger than life entrepreneur has come a long way in more than just distance from his childhood home in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. A lawyer graduate, Costa Macambira made his name as a coffee trader, famously monopolizing the Russian coffee market almost single-handedly before making an unusual career turn into the world of publishing.
The burning question when confronted with this fireball of energy is what fuels Costa Macambira’s entrepreneurial instincts – and drives him to constantly move forward whilst still managing to thinkoutside the bounds of what is expected. Time and time again.
“It’s my passion for knowledge,” Costa Macambira says, stirring his double espresso thoughtfully. “That’s what drives my ambitions and keeps me constantly striving for new challenges.”
Costa Macambira made quite the mark on the European publishing sector when he spearheaded the launch of Forbes Monaco in 2018. His foray onto the publishing scene came after several years of early retirement in Monaco, where, unable to sit still and enjoy the sedentary lifestyle, Costa Macambira harnessed his global network of business contacts to found Forbes Monaco Magazine, shortly followed by Forbes Belgium, Forbes Netherlands, and Forbes Luxembourg.
Less than five years later, having received global recognition for what he has managed to do with Forbes Monaco in particular, the Monegasque businessman has decided to step down as CEO and Publisher of the Forbes brand.
It’s a big and somewhat surprising move. But more about that later. We catch up with the visionary entrepreneur at one of his favorite spots for afternoon coffee, Cova Montenapoleone, in Boulevard des Moulins. The aim of our ‘chat’ (for whilst Costa Macambira loves scheduling interviews for his beloved magazines, he’s not so keen when the (Hermès) shoe is on the other foot) is to find out what really makes the commodity trader-turned-media mogul really tick.
He’s sitting at his habitual table when I walk in, and immediately jumps up when he sees me, and envelops me in a hug. He’s wearing Prada and admits to a love of all things by the Italian designer. Previously notoriously private, it appears the success of Forbes Monaco and the lavish branded events to which tickets are now gold-dust have thrust Costa Macambira into the Monaco limelight and he’s constantly solicited as we settle into our chat. He wears this popularity with incredible ease, and I’m acutely aware of how privileged I am to be sharing this moment together
You’ve been described many times as a serial entrepreneur. Do you think you befit this title and why?
Who wouldn’t like to be called a serial entrepreneur? I mean, seriously?! I take it as a big compliment. My first experience as an entrepreneur was in the 1990s when I got into global coffee trading. I set up a company in Miami after law school, and quickly realized that coffee could be traded with less required capital if it was backed by producers’ financial schemes. But most coffee producers were unhappy about dealing with less traditional markets, which is where I came in. I offered them financial services and insurance, and soon we were able to operate faster and more efficiently than our competitors. I got the reputation as being someone willing to take on unchartered
waters and I got a real thrill from those early days.
”So, what made you want to take on the uncharted waters of the Monaco publishing scene?
When one hears “Forbes” and “Monaco” together, it’s as if they were always meant to be together, especially considering how opulent and wealthy the area is. It seems unreasonable that Forbes should be anywhere but Monaco. While Forbes’ Billionaires List graces its pages, real-life billionaires grace
Monaco. Forbes to me seemed the perfect media in which to shine the spotlight on Monaco’s main business players and how they got to be where they are today. But incredibly, before 2018, Forbes Monaco didn’t exist. I saw a gap in the market and seized it.
It’s been almost 5 years since you added your name to the masthead of Forbes magazine as a “proprietor”. When you look around at the publishing landscape today, what surprises you the most?
The Principality of Monaco is home to more than 140 nationalities. Even though French is the national language, English is still the language that unites all these different nationalities, yet there are still very few publications in English. That really baffled me. And now that all these nationalities have been able to read Forbes in English for the past five years, I think there is a hunger for even more English-speaking titles. There is no going back now to a solely French press.
When one hears “FORBES” and “Monaco” together, I’ts as if they were always meant to be together, especially considering how opulent and wealthy the area is.
Forbes Monaco has thrust you into the Monegasque limelight. How do you deal with your status as a well-known publisher in Monaco?
I sincerely prefer to remain low profile; it’s how I was brought
up and where I feel most at ease. But the activity has indeed put me under the spotlight. I don’t take any negative opinions too personally. That has also taught me not to take the great ones personally!
You have decided to step down as CEO of Forbes Monaco. Why did you make this decision, and does it mean you will exit the publishing business?
After nearly five successful years of publishing Forbes Monaco I just thought it was the right time to explore other opportunities in the media and publishing space. I can say confidently that I will not exit the publishing business. I will make an announcement very soon about a couple of important worldclass brands with which I will partner.
What experience do you take away from publishing an iconic brand such as Forbes that you can apply to other future brands you plan to publish?
One of the most important elements of this industry is knowing your audience extremely well. Monaco is full of avid and affluent readers, and understanding what they want is key. The combination of producing premium content and having such an affluent audience has significant performance advantages for launching a new publication. We responded with our formula, and we were very successful.
The combination of producing premium content and having such an affluent audience has significant performance advantages for launching a new publication
What does the future hold for Luiz Costa Macambira?
I have several activities in different fields, such as consultancy and trading, which are very close to my heart and are at the core of who I am. And now, of course, there is publishing and media, a business sector I am hugely passionate about and want to take to the next level.
We certainly look forward to seeing how high this serial entrepreneur can go!