Antônio Delfim Netto

Antônio Delfim Netto
Netto in 2008
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
1 February 1987 – 1 February 2007
ConstituencySão Paulo
Minister of the Department of Planning
In office
15 August 1979 – 14 March 1985
PresidentJoão Figueiredo
Preceded byMário Henrique Simonsen
Succeeded byJoão Sayad
Minister of Agriculture
In office
15 March 1979 – 15 August 1979
PresidentJoão Figueiredo
Preceded byAlysson Paulinelli
Succeeded byAmaury Stabile
Ambassador of Brazil to France
In office
7 February 1975 – 10 February 1978
PresidentErnesto Geisel
Preceded byAurélio de Lira Tavares
Succeeded byRamiro Saraiva Guerreiro
Minister of Finance
In office
17 March 1967 – 15 March 1974
PresidentArtur da Costa e Silva
Emílio Garrastazu Médici
Preceded byEduardo Lopes Rodrigues
Succeeded byMário Henrique Simonsen
Personal details
Born(1928-05-01)1 May 1928
Died12 August 2024(2024-08-12) (aged 96)
São Paulo, Brazil
PartyPP (2011–2024)
Other political
affiliations
  • ARENA (1965–1979)
  • PDS (1979–1993)
  • PPR (1993–1995)
  • PPB (1995–2003)
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Alma materSchool of Economics, Business and Accounting of the University of São Paulo
FieldMonetarism
Estruturalism
School or traditionMonetarism
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Antônio Delfim Netto (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtoni.u dɛwˈfĩ ˈnɛtu, ɐ̃ˈtonju -]; 1 May 1928 – 12 August 2024) was a Brazilian economist, academic, and politician who served as a congressman and as Minister of Finance, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Planning.

Under Netto's tenure as Minister of Finance, Brazil experienced a period of unprecedented economic growth – the so-called Economic Miracle –, which was driven by a heterodox, developmentalist planning model reliant on low wages, a rapidly rising export rate, and massive inflows of foreign capital.

Netto added another layer of meaning to the "cake theory". According to him, the cake should rise before it could be shared; hence, economic growth would be an appropriate way to address the rampant inequality Brazil faced. Delfim Netto died in São Paulo on 12 August 2024, at the age of 96.