32 Facts About Guma Aguiar

Guma Leandro Aguiar was a Brazilian-born American energy industrialist and millionaire businessman who split his time between the United States and Israel.

In July 2009, Guma Aguiar invested over $4 million in support of the Beitar Jerusalem Football Club.

On June 20,2012, Guma Aguiar was reported missing after his unoccupied boat was found on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The day before Guma Aguiar went missing, a federal court judge ordered his mental health records be presented to the court as part of a lawsuit between him and his uncle Thomas Kaplan.

Guma Aguiar was one of four children of Ellen, a Jewish mother, and Otto de Souza Aguiar, a Christian father.

Guma Aguiar's mother is the sister of billionaire investor Thomas Kaplan, and his father was an artist and model.

At age 26, Guma Aguiar became religiously Jewish after meeting rabbi Tovia Singer.

Guma Aguiar's family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when Aguiar was one year old.

Guma Aguiar graduated from the Westminster Academy Christian School in 1995.

Guma Aguiar enrolled at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina but dropped out after one year.

Guma Aguiar was the vice chairman and chief executive officer of Leor Energy.

Guma Aguiar began his career as a clerk on the floor of the NYMEX in 1999 where he focused on the energy markets, with particular emphasis on natural gas.

Guma Aguiar joined Cadence Resources in July 2002 and served as a Member of the Board of Directors of Corporate Development until June 30,2003.

Guma Aguiar was the director of the Lillian Jean Kaplan Foundation and was involved in numerous philanthropic activities.

Guma Aguiar donated more than US$8 million to fund the activities of Nefesh B'Nefesh, a Zionist organization which promotes Aliyah from North America and the United Kingdom to Israel.

In 2008, Guma Aguiar founded the "Defender of Jerusalem Award" which recognizes public figures who have taken uniquely strong stances in support of Jerusalem.

On July 21,2009, Guma Aguiar announced an investment of over US$4 million to support the Beitar Jerusalem Football Team which, despite a massive fan following, had grown into financial distress and was on the brink of collapse prior to Guma Aguiar's financial contributions.

Guma Aguiar was motivated to purchase the team out of his love for the sport combined with a passion for Jerusalem and Israel.

In September 2009, Guma Aguiar took his commitment to Jerusalem sports to the next level when he invested over $1.5 million in the city's leading basketball franchise, Hapoel Jerusalem.

Since these investments, Guma Aguiar became a fixture in Israeli social circles and regularly met with members of Knesset and local political and business leaders.

Guma Aguiar managed the teams and was in contact with the general managers of both Betar and Hapoel.

In November 2009, Guma Aguiar travelled with Kornfein to Brazil with the goal of scouting out players for the Betar team.

Guma Aguiar made an effort to be at team practices and met with the players and staff of both teams.

Beitar fans attribute Beitar's winning the Toto Cup on 26 January 2010 to Guma Aguiar's financial backing, although it was won while Guma Aguiar was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility.

Guma Aguiar asked the security staff to take in the trophy to the hospitalized Aguiar.

In 2005, Guma Aguiar married his Westminster Academy high school sweetheart, Jamie Elizabeth Black.

Guma Aguiar pleaded no contest to drug charges in 2009 after police found marijuana in his car during a traffic stop in Florida.

Guma Aguiar then filed for divorce, but both the domestic violence allegations and the divorce filing were stopped.

Guma Aguiar's mother has said that Guma Aguiar experienced his first psychotic episode at age 19 and that he was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder and psychosis.

On January 14,2010, Guma Aguiar was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital in Israel by his mother.

Two days after his disappearance in June 2012, Guma Aguiar's mother filed documents in Broward County, Florida court to become conservator of his nearly $100 million fortune.

Guma Aguiar was declared legally dead on January 29,2015, two years and seven months after his disappearance.