A luxury rental and three investigations: How Lula's son's lavish lifestyle in Spain is rocking the Brazilian presidential campaign

Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as "Lulinha" and the eldest son of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, maintains a standard of living just outside of Madrid, Spain, reserved for only a small fraction of the Spanish population, according to an investigation published by the Brazilian media outlet Poder360.

Lulinha lives with his wife and two children in an 2,700-square-foot apartment in El Jardín de La Moraleja, a luxury complex located in one of the most exclusive areas of the Madrid metropolitan area.

The apartment has three bedrooms, and the complex features swimming pools, a sauna, a gym, an event hall, coworking spaces, gardens and controlled access. Rent for similar properties is around 5,000 euros per month (approximately $5,828).

When community fees, maintenance costs, taxes, and utilities are added, Poder360 calculated—with the help of professionals in the Spanish real estate sector—that the total cost of the residence would amount to about 5,800 euros per month (approximately $6,760).

An income level reserved the top 1%

To qualify for a rental of this caliber, Lulinha would have to prove an income of around 208,800 euros per year ($243,373), if the standard rule of the Spanish housing market were applied—which requires the tenant to earn at least three times their rent.

This is not a legal requirement, but rather a widespread practice among landlords. A survey by the real estate agency Donpiso, published by Idealista, indicated that around 70% of the landlords surveyed apply this requirement.

This figure contrasts with the reality of wages in Spain. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics cited by the publication, the median gross annual salary is around 24,500 euros ($28,557). To be among the top 10% of highest-paid workers, one needs to earn about 52,000 euros ($60,610), while earning more than 97,500 euros ($113,644) places one in the top 1% of earners.

Only 0.8% of Spanish wage earners earn more than 100,000 euros ($116,558) per year. The income that the Brazilian president's son would presumably need to prove in order to support his home is more than double that amount.

Mystery surrounding the source of the money

The report maintains that, so far, it has not been possible to identify a source of income in Spain consistent with those expenses.

In January 2026, Lulinha founded the company Synapta, formally dedicated to the IT sector and registered for tax purposes at a coworking space in Madrid. However, his defense claimed that the company is considered "inactive" by the Spanish Tax Agency.

Poder360 reported that it attempted to find out how the president's son finances his residence and what his professional activities are. The outlet even sent a letter to the residential complex, but the doorman—allegedly following instructions from Lulinha—refused to accept it and denied that he lived there.

Until the publication of the investigation, the businessman had not publicly explained the source of the funds used to support his lifestyle in Spain.

Three investigations into alleged influence peddling

The controversy arises as the Brazilian Federal Police are investigating Lulinha's possible involvement in three cases related to influence peddling and public contracts. The president's son has not been formally charged nor is he being prosecuted in any of these cases.

According to Poder360, the investigations include:

The defense rejects the allegations and maintains that there is no solid evidence against its client. It also accuses sectors of the Federal Police of "fishing for evidence" with the intent to influence the presidential elections.

Lula stated that his son will have to answer for any wrongdoing and will not receive special treatment. The president has also claimed that the accusations against Lulinha have been used for years to damage his political reputation.