Joseph Safra, a Lebanese-born financier, who became the world’s richest banker after building an international business empire in Brazil, his adopted country, has died. He was 82.

The scion of a Sephardi Jewish family, Safra was born in Beirut and was guided by his financier father, Jacob. Famous for his discretion and conservatism, Safra chaired until his death the Safra Group, a conglomerate spanning banking, property, cellulose and bananas. Forbes magazine estimated his wealth this month at $23 billion, making him the world’s 63rd richest person and its wealthiest banker, according to the Financial Times.

The Safra Group’s extensive global property portfolio includes London’s Gherkin building, one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks, 660 Madison Ave. in New York City, J. Safra Sarasin private bank in Switzerland, Safra National Bank of New York.

Known for his philanthropy, Safra donated Rodin sculptures to a São Paulo public museum, gave money to two hospitals in the city, and funded the construction of a lavish synagogue. The family’s best-known gift came via the Jacob Safra Foundation, which gave Albert Einstein’s original manuscript on the theory of relativity to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.