Olavo Luiz Pimentel de Carvalho

Olavo Luiz Pimentel de Carvalho was born in Campinas, São Paulo, and was briefly involved in left-wing student activism before abandoning communism and studying astrology, traditionalist metaphysics (René Guénon and Frithjof Schuon), and classical philosophy. Working as a newspaper columnist for O Globo, Época, and Folha de S.Paulo, he emerged as a sharp critic of cultural Marxism and Brazilian academic hegemonies.

In 2005, Carvalho relocated to rural Virginia in the United States, from where he founded his Online Philosophy Seminar (COF), educating tens of thousands of Brazilian students over twelve years. His books, notably O Mínimo que Você Precisa Saber para Não Ser um Idiota (2013), became massive national bestsellers. Revered as the intellectual "guru" of Brazil's modern conservative movement, his ideas on traditional morality, anti-globalism, and anti-leftist culture war heavily shaped the political rise of Jair Bolsonaro's 2018 presidency.