In the early 2000s, Brazil became the darling of corporate investment. It boasted rapid economic growth, abundant natural resources, and a large (and increasingly wealthy) market of 200 million consumers. The government’s pro-growth policies and abundant spending only increased corporate interest and multinational expansion plans. By 2007, Brazil had reclaimed its position as the number-one destination of foreign investment in the region from Mexico, according to CEPAL, one of the five regional commissions of the UN; Brazil also represented 30–40% of a typical multinational’s Latin America portfolio, according to our internal client polling. Few major economies have been so critical to global companies’ top-line—and then stumbled just as abruptly.