Alexandre Grendene Bartelle Net Worth

Alexandre Grendene Bartelle has an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Alexandre Grendene Bartelle profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2 billion in 2019.

Alexandre Grendene Bartelle is a Brazilian businessman who cofounded Grendene, one of the world's largest sandal makers, with his twin brother, Pedro. He was born on January 2, 1950, in Farroupilha, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. He studied at the Universidade de Caxias do Sul and earned a bachelor's degree in law.

He lives in Porto Alegre and has seven children. In 2015 he donated funds to build a veterinary hospital in Porto Alegre. He enjoys the trappings of success too, owning a large Amels yacht and a Falcon 7X jet.

Beyond shoes, Grendene Bartelle has spread his money widely. He has investments in industries from steel to ethanol production and petrochemicals, and he owns real estate in several Brazilian states as well as in Uruguay.

Grendene Bartelle is a classic example of a self-made Brazilian industrialist. He and his brother started with a small loan from their grandfather and a handful of workers, and they built a company whose sandals are now sold far beyond Brazil. Forbes lists him as self-made.

How Alexandre Grendene Bartelle made his money

The Grendene story began in 1971, when Alexandre and Pedro started the company with help from their grandfather. He lent them money to buy plastic injection molding machines and hire five employees. The brothers used plastic molding to make affordable footwear, and the business grew into one of the biggest sandal makers in the world.

Grendene trades on the São Paulo exchange, and Alexandre owns 41% of it. He stepped down as CEO in 2013 but remains chairman. His stake in the listed company is the core of his fortune, with his other investments in steel, ethanol, petrochemicals and property adding to it.

Running the company alongside his twin for decades, Alexandre helped turn a small plastics workshop in Rio Grande do Sul into a listed group. Handing the CEO role to others in 2013 let him focus on the board and on his wider portfolio of investments, while his large stake kept him tied to the company's fortunes.

How Forbes has valued Alexandre Grendene Bartelle

Forbes valued Grendene Bartelle at $2 billion in both 2019 and 2020. His figure dipped to $1.6 billion in 2021, then came in at $1.8 billion in 2022 and $1.7 billion in 2023.

It rose to $2.6 billion in 2024 before easing to $2.2 billion in 2025. On the 2026 World's Billionaires List Forbes put him at $2.5 billion, and as of October 20, 2026, the real-time billionaires tracker showed $2.4 billion. His estimates follow Grendene's share price and the Brazilian real.