José Maria Ricciardi, who died this Wednesday at the age of 71, was the man who confronted Ricardo Salgado, the “Owner of Everything”, during the most tense and existential moments within one of the most (if not the most) powerful families in the country, which culminated in the tragic fall of the GES/BES group over a decade ago. In the end...
🎥 “Even if I have to sweep streets”. The days when Ricciardi confronted his cousin Salgado
Wednesday, 25 March 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
GES refers to Grupo Espírito Santo, a large Portuguese banking and industrial group whose collapse in 2014 led to prolonged insolvency proceedings and the sale of assets to repay creditors. Recent reports that the sale of GES assets raised about €149 million matter to creditors, investors and anyone monitoring corporate restructurings or property sales in Portugal.
