In this success story, we are going to share Carlos Slim Helu biography, the CEO and Chairman of giant telecommunication twin companies – Telmex and America Movil. Carlos was ranked as the world richest person from 2012-2013 and was popularly known as the “Warren Buffett of Mexico”.
Carlos Slim Helu Early Life
Carlos Slim Helu was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on the 28th of January to Lebanese parents along with five other siblings.
Carlos’s father was a successful business owner and has taught all of his kids about business at a very young age. When he was only 12 years old, he had already invested in national bank shares.
After his father died in 1953, Carlos continued to work for his business until the age of 17.
He went to the National Autonomous University of Mexico and studied civil engineering. While at school, he was also teaching linear and algebra programming but went into the business industry immediately after graduating.
Carlos Slim Helu Career
Having received numerous years of business training from his father, Carlos began his career by starting his own brokerage. He would invest in small individual businesses, and by the year 1965, he had grown his business enough that he could incorporate other companies or even buy them out entirely.
Although he did invest his money in numerous different kinds of businesses, he mainly focused on mining, construction, and real estate and by 1966, he was estimated to be worth around $40 million.
He continued to invest his funds, and by 1980 he had unified his shares into a parent company called ‘Grupo Galas.’ In the year 1982, the prices of oil dropped immensely, which caused the Mexican economy to suffer greatly.
This led to him expand his shares and investing in international companies; he soon had a 50% share in the ‘The Hershey Company’.
In the year 1990, he continued to extend his control to the telephone communication companies in hopes of soon acquiring the Mexican phone company ‘Telmex’ from the government. After he obtained the company, he soon developed a US version of ‘Telmex’, and he even purchased some stake in the US mobile company ‘Tracfone’.
After going through heart surgery, he began to pass on some of his daily work to his children and backed away from the business life.
In the year 2000’s, Carlos continued to invest in some of the biggest companies in the world, which include the ‘The New York Times Company’, ‘Saks Fifth Avenue’, ‘Telekom Austria’, and ‘Volaris’.
By January 2015, Carlos had become ‘The New York Times Company’s’ largest individual shareholder.
In 2020, Carlos Slim Helu’s net worth is $56 billion, and he is one of the richest people of all time.
Carlos Slim Helu Philanthropic Works
He has founded three non-profit foundations, namely, Fundacion Carlos Slim Helu, Fundacion Telmex and Fundacion del Centro Historico de la Ciudad de Mexico A.C. These foundations concentrate on the Mexico City and look after education, arts, and healthcare, one for downtown restoration and one for sports.
