To be powerful in South America, you have to be transparent and you have to have a very clean reputation. Transparency for me today is a magic word in South America. Power comes from transparency and a track record of execution.

I can tell you that today 99% of my investments are in Brazil and will remain here.

You cannot exist as a $20 billion company with speculation.

Don’t aim for perfection, aim for success.

Nobody is happy alone. To share experiences is always a good thing.

Finding oil is a multidisciplinary science. You need a lot of people - statisticians, engineers, and geologists, of course. And what I have learned in the past 30 years is that I read people better than I read books.

Don't think you are unstoppable or foolproof. Don't think that the only way your business will work is through perfection. Don't aim for perfection. Aim for success.