Guma Aguiar

Guma Leandro Aguiar (May 31, 1977 – disappeared June 19, 2012; declared legally dead January 29, 2015[3]) was a Brazilian-born American energy industrialist and millionaire businessman who split his time between the United States and Israel.

Aguiar was recognized as a philanthropist who supported a variety of Jewish causes including Nefesh B'Nefesh and the March of the Living.

He was one of four children[8] of Ellen[9] (née Kaplan), a Jewish mother,[10] and Otto de Souza Aguiar,[11] a Christian father.

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.

Transitioning from daily trading activity to the long-term physical markets, Aguiar joined with his uncle, Thomas Kaplan, in 2001 to manage a portfolio of family investments ranging from venture capital to private equity and debt.

[14] Leor Energy has a financial alliance with its first strategic equity partner, Goldman Sachs & Co. Aguiar joined Cadence Resources in July 2002 and served as a Member of the Board of Directors of Corporate Development until June 30, 2003.

[15] He donated more than US$8 million to fund the activities of Nefesh B'Nefesh, a Zionist organization which promotes Aliyah (Jewish immigration) from North America and the United Kingdom to Israel.

[17] In October 2009, Aguiar and his wife Jamie served as the co-chairs of the "Facing Tomorrow" Conference in Jerusalem organized by Israel's President Shimon Peres.

During the conference, Aguiar was featured on a panel with the President and offered his vision of Israeli society and culture from the perspective of one of the country's most recognized entrepreneurs.

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

[citation needed] Prior to his disappearance, Aguiar divided his time between the Yemin Moshe quarter in Jerusalem and South Florida.

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

[30][31][32][33][34] In 2011, due to his mental illness, his wife Jamie and mother Ellen petitioned a Miami-Dade judge for guardianship over Aguiar.

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