BANCO MASTER
Master scandal becomes Flávio Bolsonaro's scandal
Just yesterday, prediction markets had Flávio Bolsonaro as the frontrunner for the October presidential race. That is no longer the case. Photo: Saulo Cruz/Senate
Brazilians send four times as many WhatsApp audio messages than the global average, Meta reported in 2024. Some of them are incriminating. One such recording — sent by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro — has imperiled the senator's presidential bid and made Brazil's 2026 race more unpredictable.
The Intercept Brasil revealed that Bolsonaro personally negotiated USD 24 million (then roughly BRL 134 million) from Vorcaro to finance “Dark Horse,” a hagiographic biopic of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Documents and WhatsApp messages obtained by the outlet show that at least USD 10.6 million changed hands between February and May 2025. The Intercept couldn't verify whether the eight remaining installments had been paid.
The money flowed in an opaque manner, through…
🔒 This was a free preview; the rest is behind our paywall
Don’t miss out! Upgrade to unlock full access. The process takes only seconds with Apple Pay or Stripe. Become a member.
Why you should subscribe
We’re here for readers who want to truly understand Brazil and Latin America — a region too often ignored or misrepresented by the international media.
Since 2017, our reporting has been powered by paid subscribers. They’re the reason we can keep a full-time team of journalists across Brazil and Argentina, delivering sharp, independent coverage every day.
If you value our work, subscribing is the best way to keep it going — and growing.
Interested in advertising with us? Get in touch.
Need a special report? We can do it.
Have an idea for an article or column? Pitch us
