- Owner of various enterprises, including SBT, the second bigger broadcasting station in Brazil.
- His father was Greek and his mother was Turkish.
- He has bought 50% of the TV Channel to continue making his programs and to entertain his loyal audience, so he has made TVS, now SBT(Brazilian TV System).(1981).
- Has 6 daughters: Silvia and Cíntia Abravanel, with Cidinha, and Daniela, Patrícia Abravanel, Rebeca and Renata with Iris Abravanel.
- One of the most respected men of Brazilian television.
- Owns the second biggest TV network of Brazil, the SBT, where presents some entertainment programs, such as "Show do Milhão" and "Programa Sílvio Santos" (October 2001)
- Grandfather of the actor Tiago Abravanel (son of Cíntia Abravanel).
- His daughter Patrícia Abravanel and her husband Fabio Faria, became parents of his grandson a boy named Pedro (b. 2014).
- Mentioned in the song "Domingo" by Titãs.
- He tried to run for President of Brazil during the highly disputed presidential campaign in 1989, the first election with direct vote after more than 20 years of military regime and one indirect election in 1985. Even though joining a small party, Santos was one of the favorite in the dispute running against veteran politicians but his bid wasn't accepted after some weeks of campaign due to a controversy revolving money mismanagement.
- The entirety of his network programming (hosted by him or not and including soap operas) is composed of remakes of foreign television shows. Some of the most famous examples are Ricki Lake (1992), which was famously adapted as Márcia (1997) and the current Casos de familia (2004); Passa ou Repassa (1987) is a remake of Double Dare (1986); and Fantasia (1997), which is based on Non è la Rai (1991).
- Started out as a seller, whose powerful speech rendered an audition for radio broadcasting. He left his job and went back to selling after realizing his salary was actually higher.
- Estabilished his media conglomerate in São Paulo, but is actually born in Rio de Janeiro.
- Owned Record TV between 1970 and 1980. He bought the channel while still under contract with Rede Globo, which forbade owning a different network.
- Is known for strictly supervising the looks of his cast or employees. He infamously fired children's TV host Marianne Dombrova after seeing her with a pixie hair cut. Singer Tânia Mara recalled that he often asked her to change her hair style, when she hosted Fantasia (1997) in the late 1990s.
- First met a then unknown Xuxa when she was a teenager attending his game show "Cidade Contra Cidade" in the 80s, along with Sergio Mallandro. Santos offered Mallandro a TV show of his own on the spot, but kept insisting on knowing Xuxa's "real name". She repeatedly answered "Xuxa", and ended up being turned down an initial chance on television. Years later and at the peak of her career in TV, music and film, Santos literally knocked Xuxa's door with flowers, inviting her to join his network.
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