XP Investimentos is the biggest brokerage in Brazil not related to any bank or larger financing institution. The path the company encountered to achieve this status had a lot of tools and shortcuts. It started in the middle of the market environment full of fears in 2001, the year of 9/11 terrorist attack.
Guilherme Benchimol and Marcelo Maisonnave began as autonomous investment agents in Porto Alegre. Their office was a room of just 40 square meters. The computers used in the business were a little lagged because it was bought from a lan house.