Carlos Slim Helú (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkarlos eˈslim eˈlu], Arabic كارلوس سليم حلو), simply known as Carlos Slim (born January 28, 1940), is a Mexican engineer, businessman and philanthropist largely focused on the telecommunications industry. He is currently the wealthiest person in the world[1] with a net worth of around US$53.5[3] billion through his holdings. He was able to raise money for a telecommunications company by purchasing standby letters of credit which enabled him to obtain guaranteed loans which provided the capital.[4]
Slim has a substantial influence over the telecommunications industry in Mexico and much of Latin America. He controls Teléfonos de México (Telmex), Telcel and América Móvil companies. Though he maintains an active involvement in his companies, his three sons — Carlos, Marco Antonio and Patrick Slim Domit — head them on a day-to-day basis.
| Carlos Slim | |
| Born | January 28, 1940 (1940-01-28) (age 70) Mexico City, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Mexican |
Personal wealth
On August 4, 2007, The Wall Street Journal ran a cover story profiling Slim. The article said, "While the market value of his stake in publicly traded companies could decline at any time, at the moment he is probably wealthier than Bill Gates".[7] On March 29, 2007, Slim surpassed Warren Buffett as the world's second richest person with an estimated net worth of US$53.1 billion compared to Buffett's US$52.4 billion.[8] According to The Wall Street Journal, Slim credits part of his ability to discover investment opportunities early to the writings of his friend, futurist author Alvin Toffler.[7]
On August 8, 2007, Fortune reported that Slim had overtaken Gates as the world's richest man. Slim's estimated fortune soared to US$59 billion, based on the value of his public holdings the end of July. Gates' net worth was estimated to be at least US$58 billion.[7][9]
On March 5, 2008, Forbes ranked Slim as the world's second-richest person, behind Warren Buffett and ahead of Bill Gates.[10]
On March 11, 2009, Forbes ranked Slim as the world's third-richest person, behind Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and ahead of Lawrence Ellison.[4]
On March 10, 2010, Forbes once again reported that Slim had overtaken Gates as the world's richest man, with a net worth of US$53.5 billion. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett now have a net worth of US$53 billion and US$47 billion respectively.[1] He was the first Mexican to top the list.[11] It was the first time in 16 years that that the person on top of the list was not from the United States.[12] It was also the first time the person at the top of the list was not from Europe, the Middle East or the United States, and the first from an "emerging economy"
He doesn't bother with private jets, shuns flashy offices, and for most of the 1990s made do with a plastic watch.
And while he does have a laptop, he is adamant that he does not use it, saying: "I'm a paper man, not electronic."
Not the kind of attributes you might expect from someone who has now been named the richest man in the world by Forbes magazine.
When you see these two gentlemen dining together, in Waldorf Astoria, New York or Ritz Hotel, Paris, it won't be difficult to guess, WHO WILL FOOT THE "BILL"
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