Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

Carlos Slim is the richest man in the world according Forbes Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. He has an estimated fortune of $59 billion USD. He is probably wealthier than Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft with an estimated fortune of $58 billion USD. Carlos Slim is 67 years old, was born in Mexico with Lebanese descent.

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Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

Carlos Slim is widowed and has three sons. They are actively involved in his father's business. The heir of the Slim family immigrated to Mexico around 1910, and invested his money in Real Estate. He also had a little store, "The Orient Star" in downtown Mexico City.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

Slim become a "big fish" when he won the bid for the privatization of the state monopoly Telefonos de Mexico (TELMEX). Another momentum for Slim happened during the presidency of Jose Lopez Portillo (1976-1982), who nationalized the Mexican banks. Companies were sold for much less than their real value. Slim bought "Seguros de Mexico", the Mexico largest insurer,for just 44 million.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

One of Slim's empire is Grupo Carso, which includes the CompUSA electronic retail chain. He is the Chairman of Telefonos de Mexico (TELMEX), America Movil and Grupo Financiero Inbursa.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

He owns more than 200 companies. Hotels and restaurants are included in his business. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal he said "part of my ability is to discover investment opportunities early". Lately, he is involved in philanthropic work.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

A young man checks a cd at a Mixup Store owned by Carlos Slim. Mexicans jokingly use the phrase: "Can you live a day without Slim?" In Mexico, if you buy a car, a house, health insurance, a coffee or just use your cell phone, probably everything is related in some way or another to his business empire.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

In the year 2000, Carlos Slim helped to restore the historic district in Mexico City. He has been Chairman of the Executive Committee for the restoration in this emblematic area in the Mexican capital. Slim loves the Arts. He opened the museum "Soumaya" in honor to his wife who died in 1999 from a kidney disease.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

The Sanborn chain is very popular in Mexico. It includes gift shops, restaurants, personal care shops, music stores and bookstores. In his personal life, Slim likes to invite celebrities to his Mexico City mansion and enjoys good food and wine. He is good friend of the Nobel Prize of Literature,Gabriel Garcia Marquez and President Bill Clinton.

Can Mexico live a day without Carlos Slim?

The man behind the biggest fortune in the world

Slim is the owner of Telmex (Telefonos de Mexico). It is the biggest telephone company in the country, which controls 90 per cent of the land lines and Telcel, the mobile company. Both companies have financed Slim's international expansion.

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