Brazilian entrepreneur: a comparative study

Abstract This work examines the debate about the Brazilian entrepreneur, aiming at challenging the widely accepted vision that the Paulista and Carioca experiences, in what concerns the formation of the entrepreneurial class, can be extended to other parts of Brazil. The work compares the social background and the sources of capital of Mineiro, Paulista and Carioca entrepreneurs in the XIXth century. The analysis reveals that Mineiro entrepreneurs came from the local elite constituted basically by Brazilians and that the sources of capital (mainly, agriculture and trade) used by Mineiro entrepreneurs were distinct in their nature, with coffee and the import-export trade having a less relevant role.