In an era of rising costs and financial uncertainty, Ricardo Santos and Katya Ivanova Santos are redefining how to secure a brighter future for their children.
To put this vision into practice, they recently launched MÁXIMO Capital Partners, a family venture studio created to teach their sons, 12-year-old Eduardo Máximo and 1-year-old Leonardo Máximo, the art of building and running businesses from the ground up.
“Life is getting more expensive every year. Reaching my 30s with a paid-off house, a car, and zero debt was already a challenge. Our kids will face an even tougher financial landscape. Forget the old advice of ‘invest €1 a day in the S&P 500 and become a millionaire when older.’ We’re giving our children something far more valuable: real-world experience and a company to run,” Ricardo shared with Portugal Startup News.
The couple, who are both mentors at Unicorn Factory Lisboa, draw on their extensive business, technology, and entrepreneurial experience across various roles. They are co-founders of AssetFloow, a pioneering company based in Lisbon specializing in behavioral and predictive AI.
MÁXIMO Capital Partners operates with a unique model that includes: one hour a day to keep it sustainable for the family, one project at a time to maintain focus, leveraging today’s technology for automation and efficiency, and not repeating failed projects to build resilience and adaptability.
The family’s first project is a proprietary quant model for investing. Eduardo, while still in his pre-teens, will learn critical skills like cost management, strategy, coding, and decision-making.
With €10,000 for investing and €5,000 for company operations, he is experiencing the actual consequences of running a business.
“This isn’t just a business, it’s a living legacy for them,” says Katya. “We’re not just saving for our kids’ future, we’re building it with them. By 18, Eduardo and eventually Leonardo will take full control, equipped with the tools, courage, and wisdom to carve their own paths in life.”
According to the Santos, MÁXIMO Capital Partners is a “real-world MBA” for the next generation where their sons are taught how to navigate challenges, grow sustainable ventures, and transform setbacks into opportunities.
“Today, we’re focused on growing our fund. Tomorrow? We’ll empower others, individuals and businesses, to create sustainable wealth, ” Katya adds.
Featured image: Ricardo and Katya Santos plan to guide their sons, Eduardo and Leonardo, through hands-on entrepreneurship at MÁXIMO Capital Partners, preparing them to build and run real businesses. (Photo courtesy of the Santos family)
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