Alvaro Saieh Bendeck
Finance and Investments

Alvaro Saieh Bendeck Net Worth

Alvaro Saieh Bendeck is a Chilean businessman who owns about 30% of Itau CorpBanca, a bank created from the merger of Itau and CorpBanca. He built Corpbanca after buying Banco Concepcion in 1995 and acquired Banco Santander's Colombian unit in 2012. Saieh is also the president of SMU, a Chilean supermarket chain in which he has a major stake, and he owns the Grand Hyatt hotel in Santiago, Chile. He has invested heavily in SMU and sold his stake in insurance companies CorpSeguros and CorpVida.
Alvaro Saieh Bendeck is a member of Finance and Investments

Age, Biography and Wiki

Birth Place Santiago, Chile, Chile

💰 Net worth: $1.4 Billion (2024)

Alvaro Saieh Bendeck, a prominent figure in the finance and investment industry in Chile, is estimated to have a net worth of $1.4 billion by 2024. With extensive experience and expertise in these fields, Saieh Bendeck has achieved remarkable success throughout his career. Known for his strategic thinking and keen business acumen, he has made significant contributions to the financial landscape in Chile. As a result, his wealth and influence continue to grow, solidifying his position as one of the most influential figures in the country's finance sector.

2013 $3 Billion
2014 $1.9 Billion
2015 $2.5 Billion
2016 $2.2 Billion
2017 $2.5 Billion
2018 $3.18 Billion

Biography/Timeline

1949

Álvaro Saieh was born on September 14, 1949, in Villanueva (La Guajira), Colombia. Of Palestinian ancestry, his parents are Chilean José Saieh and Colombian Elena Bendeck.

1972

At the age of three his family moved to Talca, Chile, where they started Casa Saieh, a family Business that offered from electrical appliances to clothing. In this city, he started his education, finishing high school at Liceo Abate Molina. At 17 years old he moved to Santiago to pursue a degree in commercial engineering at Universidad de Chile, from which he graduated in 1972. In 1973 he started a postgraduate degree in Economics at the same university. Later, he attended The University of Chicago, where he pursued a master´s degree in arts (1976) and a PhD in economics.

1980

In the 1980s Álvaro Saieh started his Business activity, acquiring -along with other Investors of Arabic roots, including Carlos Abuhomor- the Banco Osorno y la Unión. During the 1990s he also acquired AFP Provida, currently one of the leading pension fund managers in Chile; then, during the same decade, he sold both companies to international groups.

1995

These first operations were followed by the acquisition, in 1995, of the Banco Concepción, a bank that presented a negative equity and an important subordinated debt to the State. In less than 10 years Saieh would transform it into Chile's fourth largest private bank, now known as Corpbanca.

2002

Founded in 2002, Fundación CorpArtes objective is to promote the arts and improve the access to it through transformative cultural experiences. In the last years, it has managed initiatives in the fields of literature, visual arts, theater, music, and film, including the organization of the International Film Festival of Santiago (SANFIC). In 2014 was inaugurated the Centro de las Artes 660, a cultural space that has a multipurpose theater room, a sculpture garden and three visual arts exhibit halls.

2007

In 2007 the Saieh family purchased Unimarc supermarkets, entering the Retail Business. This marked the beginning of SMU, the third supermarket chain in Chile and the one with the largest national coverage. SMU operates with wholesale chains (Alvi and Mayorista 10), convenience stores (Ok Market), supermarkets (Unimarc), and a hardware chain (Construmart). SMU is also present in Peru, through Mayorsa supermarkets.

2010

Fundación Descúbreme was created in 2010.Its mission is to promote the integral inclusion of people with cognitive disabilities. Born from the initiative of the Sociedad Educacional Colegio El Golf S.A. and Tacal, Mírame y Amigos por Siempre foundations, Fundación Descúbreme conducts awareness campaigns, job inclusion, and social projects.

2011

This institution gradually grew up, entering the global market with operations in several countries of Latin America, such as Peru, Argentina and Colombia, and opening offices in Madrid and New York City. Within this process of growth, in 2011 CorpBanca made the largest investment of a Chilean company abroad, acquiring Banco Santander Colombia in an operation close to US $1.2 billion. Later, Saieh acquired Helm Bank, transforming CorpBanca Colombia into the fifth private bank of the country.

2016

CorpGroup also owns 50% of stake in a partnership with the Mexican group City Express. Since 2016 this company owns its first hotel in Chile, the City Express Santiago Airport.

2017

During 2017 two major projects are also expected to materialize: Mall Vivo Coquimbo and Mall Vivo Imperio, in addition to the construction of Mall Vivo Santiago.

2019

Some of the holding’s companies that provide backoffice services to other enterprices of the group are: Aeronest SA, Corp Imagen y Diseño SA, Corp Research SA, CorpGroup Holding Ltda., Hotel Corporation of Chile SA, Inmobiliaria Edificio CorpGroup SA, CorpGroup Interhold SPA, Inversiones HSG SA and Punto H S.A.

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.