Roberto Marinho, once dubbed the Citizen Kane of Brazil for building one of Latin America's largest news and entertainment empires, died on Wednesday aged 98.

Marinho turned his father's small newspaper into a media empire, becoming one of Brazil's richest men. He founded Organizacoes Globo, which encompasses television, cable, pay television, and print media. Among his holdings were Brazil's third-largest newspaper, O Globo, a network of radio stations, the Editora Globo publishing house, and recording labels.

Apart from radio and publishing interests, Globo owns a pay-TV business that controls 60% of the Brazilian market and one of the country's fastest-growing internet portals.

Marinho also controlled other companies grouped under Globo Comunicacoes e Participacoes, or Globopar, of which he was chairman of the board.

His hands-on management of TV Globo, with 113 stations and affiliates, gave Marinho a powerful influence over the country's culture and politics.