Carlos Slim Helú – # 100 Fun Facts

Carlos Slim Facts – Biography

Carlos Slim Date of Birth

1) Carlos Slim Helú (Born 1940)

Carlos Slim was the fifth child of the couple Julián Slim Haddad and Linda Helú.

He was born on January 28, 1940, in Mexico City.

Although Carlos was born and spent his childhood in Mexico, the country is not the birthplace of his family.

Since childhood, Carlos has been good at numbers, known their value and learned to maintain the accounts of his pocket money.

2) Parents

Slim’s family has origins in Lebanon.

His father’s original name was Khalil Salim Haddad Aglamaz.

In 1902, when Salim was 14 years old, he migrated to Mexico from Lebanon, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire.

There, he gave himself the new name Julián Slim Haddad.

Slim’s mother was also the child of Lebanese immigrants who settled in Mexico by the end of the 19th century.

The couple married in August 1926.

3) Siblings

Carlos Slim was brought up in a loving family with five siblings: Nour, Alma, Julián, José and Linda.

The first sister, Nour, was born four years after the couple’s marriage, and Alma was born two years after that.

Carlos was younger than all his siblings except Linda.

Wonder Years of Carlos Slim

4) Carlos Slim’s Religion

Carlos Slim Helúis a Maronite Christian, a Roman Catholic sect.

Across the globe, Maronites number just about 3.5 million.

His family has roots in a small village of Lebanon that has a diversified population of Christians and Muslims.

5) Loving Family

Carlos Slim belonged to an exemplary family having a caring father who instilled in his children not only moral values but also dedication to business skills.

Slim grew up in a close and loving family with his graceful, educated parents and wonderful siblings.

6) Father-A Prominent Businessman

Slim’s father was a talented, hardworking man who had business understanding in depth.

In 1911, he set up a dry goods store and by the end of 1920, he emerged as an efficient businessman selling a large volume of goods at small margins and with such discounts and payment facilities as are observed in today’s discount stores.

The enterprises purchased by him in a growing commercial region of Mexico City became an extensive source of wealth for his children.

7) Business Lessons In Early Childhood

Carlos got his first business teachings from his father in his early childhood.

Don Julián used to give all his children a book for recording their savings from weekly allowances so that the children could be trained to handle their income and expenditure.

They had a routine to review this book with their father, analyzing their purchases, expenses and activities.

In this way, Don Julián’s children learned to manage their finances and to develop their own wealth.

8) First Investment At The Age Of 12

When Carlos was only 12, investments and savings became part of his life.

The lessons he learned from his father were put into practice when he opened his first account and invested in Banco Nacional de Mexico by purchasing its shares.

The investment paid off when Citi took over the bank.

9) Father’s Death

1953 was a sad year for the family as Carlos Slim lost his father.

Don Julián’s sudden and unexpected death shocked the family and left a void in the home that could not be filled by anyone.

At that time, Carlos was just 13 years old.

The following years were quite difficult for the young boy.

10) A Student And A Professor

Even at a young age, Carlos Slim Helú was very smart and intelligent.

He wanted to be a civil engineer and while studying at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, he was a teacher too apart from being a good, hardworking student.

He used to enjoy teaching linear programming and algebra to the university students.

Carlos Slim Career

11) Beginning Of Career-1965

At the start of his career, Slim was in the trading business in Mexico.

He then formed his own brokerage firm that soon expanded a lot and began making investments in individual businesses that ranged from construction and manufacturing to retailing and restaurants.

In 1965, he established Inversora Bursátil and then purchased Jarritos Del Sur.

12) Career In Real Estate

In 1966, when he was only 26, Carlos Slim started his career in real estate.

He laid the foundations of his holding company named Grupo Carso that was worth $40 million.

The company name “Carso” comprised the first three letters of “Carlos” and the beginning two letters of “Soumaya,” the name of his beloved wife.

13) Heavy Investments Made In 1982

In 1982, the economy of Mexico, which was substantially dependent on oil exports, shrank rapidly due to a fall in the price of oil and rising interest rates worldwide.

During that time, businesses and banks either were nationalized or collapsed.

The peso was devalued.

In this economic crisis, Carlos made heavy investments and continued doing so until 1985.

In this way he played his role in boosting up the Mexican economy.

14) Took Over Many U.S-based Companies

As the Mexican economy entered the recovery phase, Carlos Slim’s wealth grew.

All his acquisitions accelerated and his earlier investments started paying off.

At this time, he took over the Mexican arms of several U.S.-based brands such as Hershey’s chocolate, Firestone tiresand Denny’s coffee shops.

He also acquired many Mexican businesses such as General Popo, Reynolds Aluminio, Sanborns(a food retailer) and Bimex hotels.

15) Established Giant Financial Firm, Grupo Financiero Inbursa

Slim entered into financial services and bought Seguros de México and merged it, along with his other purchases like Casa de Bolsa Inbursa and Fianzas La Guardiana, to form the Grupo Financiero Inbursa.

Carlos financed many of these acquisitions with cash flows from a tobacco business, Cigatam, which was purchased earlier.

16) Established Fundación Carlos Slim -1986

In 1986, Carlos Slim established his philanthropic organization as Asociación Carso A, which was renamed Fundación Carso, A.C., in February 2006.

The mission of the organization was to find a number of projects relating to health, education, justice and individual and community development in order to provide Mexican society with important tools to become successful socially and professionally.

17) Acquisition of Telemex-1990

In 1990, Slim acted in concert with Southwestern Bell Corporation and France Télécom to buy a landline telephone company called Telemex.

He successfully acquired it from the Mexican government in the same year.

By the end of 2006, Telemex became so well established that it operated 90% of the telephone lines of Mexico while another company of Slim’s named Telcel operated around 80% of all the country’s mobile phones.

18) Expanded Business Beyond Latin America – 1999

In 1999, Slim expanded his business beyond the borders of Latin America by establishing Telemex USA.

He also acquired a share in a U.S. cellular company called Tracfone.

He also set up Carso Infraestructura y Construcción, S.A. (CICSA), which is an engineering and construction company.

CICSA formed as a division of the Grupo Carso.

19) Incorporation of Slim’s Telecom CompanyAmerica Móvil

Slim incorporated American Móvil, a leading telecom company of today’s world, in the year 2000.

It stands in fourth position among network operators when considering its equity subscribers.

This company offers services to approximately 250 million mobile users in 18 countries of the world.

In fact, it has the honor of being one of the biggest corporations in the world.

20) Slim Bailed Out The New York Times

Apart from owning a 6.9 percent share of the New York Times Company, Slim gave a loan to the struggling publisher of about $250 million in order to save it from financial loss.

There are also rumors that he might purchase controlling stock of the company, which would cause its shares to move up.

21) Carlos Slim As Stock Market Leader

Carlos Slim has enjoyed the position of vicepresident of the Mexican Stock Exchange and has been the president of the Mexican Association of Brokerage Houses as well.

He also got the honor of being the first president of the Latin-American Committee of the New York Stock Exchange Administration Council.

He held this position from 1996 to 1998.

22) Carlos Slim On The Board Of Directors

Slim had been on the Board of Directors of Philip Morris (which has been renamed Altria Group) until April 2006.

He also held a position on the Board of Directors of Alcatel.

These days, Slim has a seat on the Board of Directors of Philip Morris International.

He was also on the Board of Directors of SBC Communications till July 2004.

Carlos Slim Accolades

23) Golden Plate Of The American Academy Of Achievement – 1985

In 1994, Carlos Slim received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, which is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that provides a platform to bring together high-profile people who gained success in various fields.

This award is one of the biggest achievements of Slim’s life.

24) Entrepreneurial Merit Medal of Honor – 1985

Slim is a man who started his business from scratch and only with his hard work, courage, determination and faith managed to touch the skies of success in entrepreneurship.

He transformed the risks into challenges and availed himself of every opportunity that could benefit his business.

For his tremendous work, he was awarded the Entrepreneurial Medal of Honor by the National Chamber of Commerce of Mexico in 1985.

25) Slim’s Telemex Got Socially Responsible Company Award

For Carlos Slim’s continuous efforts for Mexico’s welfare and TELMEX Foundation activities for the hard-working labor force, the company has been receiving the Socially Responsible Enterprise Certificate from the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI) for eleven years.

26) CEO Of The Year And Decade (2003-2004)

In 2003, Carlos Slim got the honor of being named CEO of the Year by the business trade magazine, Latin Trade, which covers global business activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2004, Latin Trade gave him the title of the CEO of the Decade.

27) Hadrian Award From World Monuments Fund – 2004

Carlos Slim played a key role in the revival of the historic center of Mexico City.

He established the Foundation for the Historic Centre of Mexico City.

In 2004, he was given the Hadrian Award from the World Monuments Fund for his efforts and determination in preserving significant historical buildings in Mexico City.

28) Salon Del Empresario Award – 2005

In 2005, Carlos Slim received the Galardon Del Salon Del Empresario award in Mexico City.

In 1993, this award was created by Impulsa and Grupo Editoral Expansion to recognize and honor the business people who contributed in the development of business in Mexico and helped its community to revive.

29) Slim Surpassed The World’s Second Richest Person – 2007

On March 29, 2007, Slim managed to surpass the world’s second richest person, Warren Buffett, possessing an approximate net worth of $53.1 billion as compared to Warren’s $52.4 billion.

On August 4, 2007, the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal published an article on Slim that 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.”

30) Awarded The National Order Of The Cedar – 2008

In November 2008, Carlos Slim was awarded the National Order of the Cedar in Grade of Grand Officer by the Embassy of Lebanon in Mexico.

While expressing his views about Slim, Nouhad Mahmoud,the ambassador of Lebanon in Mexico,stated that“the reasons for the conferral of this medal are innumerable.

Don Carlos is our world man of this time.”

According to him, “his philanthropic character committed to the welfare of human beings in general, has changed the lives of thousands of families, by spreading hope and joy within many souls.”

31) Man of The Year – 2008

In 2008, Carlos Slim Helú was named Man of the Year by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and recognized for his contribution in supporting amateur and professional boxing through his foundation, Fundación  TELMEX, and the Instituto TELMEX Del Deporte.

Jose Sulaimán, president of the WBC, praised Slim in the following words, “We have never seen so many champions and former world champions together in the same place; perhaps this will never happen again.”

32) Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award – 2010

In 2010, Carlos Slim received the Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award from the chairman and chief executive officer of Forbes Inc.

The award was given at the Forbes Global CEO Conference held in Sydney, Australia.

Slim’s memorable words in this conference were, “The only way to fight poverty is with employment.

Trillions of dollars have been given to charity in the last 50 years, and they don’t solve anything.”

33) Awarded The Prize Of Quién 50 – 2011

On November 8, 2011, Quién Magazine awarded the prize of Quién 50 to Carlos Slim.

The prize is given to honor the most powerful and influential personalities in Mexico, as per public opinion.

Since Slim’s talent resulted in positive changes and growth opportunities in Mexico, he definitely deserved this award.

34) Gibran National Committee Award – 2012

In September 2012, Carlos Slim was awarded the Gibran National Committee Award for his efforts to spread globally Khalil Gibran’s knowledge, philosophy, literature and art.

He also acquired a huge collection of Gibran’s work from one of his relatives and made his contribution in safeguarding the valuable work.

35) Award For Leadership In Philanthropy

Carlos Slim has always been active as a philanthropist.

In 2012, former U.S. President Bill Clinton honored Slim for his Leadership in Philanthropy at the Sixth Annual Global Citizen Awards.

Slim has personally aided over 165,000 youngsters in attending college and university.

36) Awarded Degree Of Public Service

George Washington University awarded Carlos Slim an honorary doctorate degree of public service in May 2012.

The university stated that he has made commendable contributions towards serving humanity and so they wanted to honor him for his social projects in Latin America and his admirable philanthropy.

37) Commander Of The Belgian Order Of Léopold II

Carlos Slim has been named a Commander in the Belgian Order of Léopold II, which is ranked third highest in the civilian decoration of Belgium.

The Order of Leopold II is named in honor of King Léopold II.

Slim was presented this order for his commendable services to the Sovereign State of Belgium.

Carlos Slim Social Work

38) Slim Donates Dividends And Not Stocks

Slim gives away dividends in donations rather than stock.

He receives a considerable amount of dividends from his investments in Telmex, Grupo Carso, America Móvil and Grupo Financiero Inbursa.

As per a Mexican journalist, Eduardo Garcia: “Slim doesn’t believe that is healthy for him to donate the shares he owns in a particular company to a foundation, since he believes that if he does that, the running of his companies would suffer [since] he is better equipped to manage his enterprises and extract more value out of them.”

39) Founder Of The Museum, Museo Soumaya

Carlos Slim Helú founded a non-profit museum called Museo Soumaya in 1994, which was named after his beloved wife Soumaya Domit.

What is special about the museum is that it has the second largest collection of Rodin sculptures in the world.

It accommodates 66,000 pieces and is known for having the largest Dalí collection in Latin America.

Everybody is welcome there and the entrance is free.

40) Slim’s Son-in LawDesigned Museo Soumaya

Fernando Romero, who is an architect and the son-in-law of Carlos Slim, designed the magnificent Museo Soumaya having the world-class collection of European and Mexican art.

Just like Slim, his son-in-law is also very talented and is a famous protegé of the Pritzker Prize winner and urbanist Rem Koolhaas.

41) Contributed To Revival Of Mexican Sporting World

Fundación Telmex, a philanthropic organization founded by Carlos Slim, joined hands with Fundación Carlos Slim in order to bring an infusion of $250 million to the sporting world of Mexico.

The intention was to provide help and nurture Mexico’s sports and bring them to Olympic standards.

42) Revitalization Of Downtown Mexico City – 2001

In 2001, Carlos Slim established the Mexico City Historic Downtown Foundation for the purpose of reviving downtown Mexico City.

This organization has been playing an important role in the improvement of the historic downtown lifestyle and has created better housing facilities and numerous employment opportunities.

The foundation is currently working on programs including social and community development, economic and cultural activities.

43) Slim’s Contribution For Clinton’s Global Initiative – 2007

On June 2007 in New York City, Carlos Slim Helú declared his commitment to donate $100 million to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) of the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, to remove poverty in Latin America.

Slim participated in this step jointly with Canadian businessman Frank Giustra and the former president of the United States.

44) Carlos Joined Hands With Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In 2010, Carlos Slim joined hands with the world-famous Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Carlos Slim Foundation and the Gates Foundation collaborated with the Spanish government and along with them, Slim spent $150 million on various projects to prevent diseases and nutrition problems and enhance healthcare in Central America and southern Mexico.

45) Donation To Study Genomic Medicine

With the aim of funding a research project in genomic medicine along with the American billionaire philanthropist and real estate tycoon Eli Broad, Slim made a donation of $65 million.

While describing the project, Eli Broad said,“Our goal in funding the Broad Institute is simple: to improve the human condition.”

46) Carlos Slim Institutes For Health – 2011

Carlos Slim donated,via the Carlos Slim Helú Foundation, a huge amount of $4 billion in order to set up the Carlos Slim Institutes for Health, Education and Sports.

Both the organizations are responsible for contributing to the economic development and security of the Mexican people and providing a quality life through technological resources.

47) Forbes Ranked Slim As One Of  World’s Biggest Givers – 2011

Carlos Slim has always been in the spotlight for his extensive charitable contributions and welfare activities.

In May 2011, Carlos Slim Helú was ranked as the one of the World’s Biggest Givers by Forbes Magazine for his donation of $4 billion to the Carlos Slim Foundation.

Other Investments by Carlos Slim

48) Fifth Avenue Office Building

In the year 2012, Carlos bought a Fifth Avenue office building which is an excellent example of Slim’s corporate success.

The building stands in the heart of New York City and is worth $140 million.

It covers 412,000square feet of space and provides around 380,000 square feet of work space along with retail space of about 23,500 square feet.

49) Duke-Semans Mansion

In July 2012, Carlos Slim purchased the Duke-Semans Mansion in New York City for $44 million.

This highly prestigious mansion was developed and designed in 1901.

It has about 20,000 square feet of space, providing every amenity that can be imagined.

The mansion has 12 bedrooms,14 bathrooms and 11 magnificent wood-burning fireplaces.

50) Establishing Plaza Carso

Carlos Slim is now investing $1.4 billion in construction of the Plaza Carso, which is a Mexico City complex that plans to include museums, movie theaters, commercial space and housing.

The project is seeking to restore a dilapidated area in the Mexico City.

51) Slim’s Company Wins Olympic TV Rights

Recently, Slim’s telecommunications company America Móvil was awarded the Latin American broadcast rights for the upcoming 2014 Winter Games to be held in Sochi and the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro.

The broadcast rights to the Rio Games were in great demand as it is the first Olympics that will be held in South America.

52) Slim To Invest Billions In Saudi Arabia

Slim has plans to make billions of dollars investment in Saudi Arabia.

According to sources, he intends to make investments in petrochemical projects in the industrial city Jubail, located in the east of the Saudi Kingdom.

In this regard, he visited Jubail along with the Saudi ambassador, also aiming to develop commercial relations between Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

53) Slim, Lafarge Team Up On Cement

Slim’s building materials company Elementia has plans to enter the cement-making business as announced by Carlos Slim in April 2013.

He aims to team up with Lafarge, the world’s largest cement maker.

Although Lafarge and Slim’s Elementia don’t have more than 5% of the Mexican market right now, Eduardo García, the owner of the Sentido Común website, wrote, “The arrival of the combination of the world’s wealthiest man and the world’s largest cement producer will surely make Cemex take notice.”

(Cemex supplies more than 60 percent of Mexican demand.)

54) Slim’s Miscalculation

Slim usually turns around any company he buys, producing amazing results.

However, a rare case of the reverse happened when he bought a failing company called CompUSA, which dealt with electronics.

After buying it, he realized that the company, being non-salvageable, could not be led successfully and that he made a mistake in calculating the efforts required to restore the company.

He then sold the company in 2007.

Personal Life of Carlos Slim

55) Married To Soumaya Domit Gemayel – 1967

In 1967, Slim got married to Soumaya Domit Gemayel, the niece of Amin Gemayel, the former Lebanese president.

Since the mothers of both Slim and Soumaya had Lebanese-Mexican ancestry, they were close friends and so Slim was acquainted with Soumaya.

He met her at the age of 24. Soumaya worked on different philanthropic projects and contributed to the formation of a legal framework for the donation of organs.

56) Established National Transplant Foundation

Carlos Slim’s wife, Soumaya, had a kidney transplant, and died because of kidney failure in 1999.

In her memory, the family has founded the National Transplant Foundation.

In the last ten years, the foundation has helped in providing 6,500 transplants.

Carlos Slim Health Institute spends $20 million a year on the research and funding of organ transplants.

57) Heart Surgery

In 1999, Slim had to face some health problems and had heart surgery.

During that time, he spent much of the time with his children.

He also assigned many of the day-to-day business works to his children and their spouses, so that his business would not be affected due to his health problem.

58) Carlos Slim’s Children

Carlos and Soumaya raised six children.

Three were sons named Carlos, Marco Antonio and Patricio and three were daughters named Vanessa Slim Domit, Soumaya Slim Domit and Johanna Slim Domit.

Slim’s three sons are at key positions at his companies America Móvil, Telmex, and conglomerate Grupo Carso.

Carlos Slim Personality

59) Master Of Diversification

Slim is known to be a master of diversification and many Mexicans think of him as owning every cactus.

Although the telecom business is his main field of expertise, he is also involved in multiple businesses that include mining, insurance, banking, railways, hotels, bicycles, construction, airlines, drilling, tobacco, retail, cement, printing, and restaurants.

He also purchased the Mexican arm of Sears Roebuck and holds shares of the tobacco company Cigatam.

60) Slim’s Extent Of Influence In Mexico

Carlos Slim’s extent of influence in Mexico has been perfectly explained by the Telegraph UK as, “The reach of his dominion is so large that the average Mexican will wake up on sheets bought from a Slim-owned store; buy their morning bread from a Slim-owned bakery; and drive to work in a Slim-insured car.

They will call friends on a Slim-owned mobile phone, lunch at a Slim-owned restaurant, and smoke Slim-owned cigarettes.

It is little wonder that the country is referred to as ‘Slimlandia’.”

61) Earning Money Is Not His Goal

Carlos Slim’s goal is not to become the richest person in the world, and for him, it is not a competition.

He is of the view that his biggest achievement will be to become a good businessperson and to run his business successfully by adopting such strategies that lead towards the growth of his business.

62) Smart Businessperson

Slim being a smart businessperson knows how to use an opportunity for his benefit.

At the time of the economic crash in 1982, he purchased companies at very low prices.

He managed each company with greater efficiency and effectiveness and within a few years, the company’s value became considerably more than at the time he bought it.

63) Slim Has Been Called AMonopolist

In 2007, a Wall Street Journal profile stated that Carlos Slim can be called as a monopolist because of his aggressive and diverse investments.

It stated that “it’s hard to spend a day in Mexico and not put money in his pocket. … In all, his companies account for more than a third of the total value of Mexico’s leading stock market index, while his fortune represents 7% of the country’s annual economic output.”

64) Never Overpaid For Anything

Slim knows very well how to spend money and how much to pay for anything.

According to his friend Hector Aguilar Camín, when he and Slim were on a trip to Venice, he once bargained with a shopkeeper for several hours only to receive a $10 discount on a tie.

65) Carlos Slim Helú Brands

Carlos Slim likes to dress himself with suits designed by Bioni, the Italian tailors that specialize in the creation of handmade suits.

The suits under their brand are quite expensive and may cost around $15,000.

Slim prefers Bioni because of its class and quality.

66) Jean Paul Getty – Role Model For Young Slim

Jean Paul Getty, an Anglo-American industrialist, was the role model for Carlos Slim in his early life.

During his youth, he was inspired after reading Getty’s article in Playboy, which described his business success.

This article filled him with the motivation and enthusiasm to do something big in the business world.

67) Slim Not A Spendthrift

Slim learned from his father how to use money wisely.

Even being a multi-billionaire, he prefers living in a modest house consisting of six bedrooms in Mexico.

He is not a believer in meaningless consumption and for the past thirty years, he has been living in the same house.

He drives himself to work every day irrespective of the dangers of kidnapping that exist in Mexico.

68) No Executive Position For Him In His Companies

An interesting thing to note about Slim is that he has no executive post at any of his companies under his control.

He has given charge of all his finance, industrial and telecom companies to his sons Marco Antonio, Carlos and Patricio.

He keeps himself engaged, however, and guides every business strategy and decision to keep his business on the right track.

69) Bill Gates On Carlos Slim

Carlos Slim has a very impressive personality and the ability to avail himself of every undervalued investment opportunity, reminding Bill Gates of Warren Buffett.

What Gates wrote about Carlos on his website is, “Carlos is a very interesting guy… He reminds me a little of Warren Buffett in his ability to find undervalued investment opportunities.

I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with him, getting to hear his thoughts on business trends and the future of Latin America.

His father immigrated to Mexico from Lebanon.”

Personal Interests of Carlos Slim

70) Slim’s Residence

Carlos Slim likes to live a simple life.

The billionaire resides in a modest home, which from every standard displays his humbleness even after his phenomenal achievements in the business world.

Slim’s house is situated in the Lomas de Chapultepec housing district of Mexico City.

The house consists of only six bedrooms and has Californian Colonial architecture.

The Slim residence is a few miles away from his office.

71) Slim’s Navy Mercedes 4X4

Carlos Slim possesses a navy Mercedes 4X4 that has been designed as per the requirements of the billionaire.

This luxury vehicle is worth no more than $100,000 and is the most cherished vehicle in his fleet.

Slim likes to drive the expensive vehicle himself rather than hiring a chauffeur.

72) 2005 Bentley Continental Flying Spur

Another member of Slim’s collections of cars is a 2005 Bentley Continental Flying Spur, a luxurious automobile magnificent enough to make an impression.

The four-door Bentley possesses a 6.0L W12 twin-turbo engine enabling the Continental Flying Spirit to run with a top speed of 194 mph.

The power plant allows this splendid car to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in only 5.2 seconds.

73) Chichen Itza – Slim’s Vacation Destination

Slim likes to spend his spare time exploring the world.

His favorite place to visit is Chichen Itza, situated in the Yucatán state of Mexico.

Since his childhood days, Carlos Slim was always mesmerized by the ancient world and pyramids, and therefore he is still attracted to the pyramids of Chichen Itza.

74) Frequent Visits To New York City

Carlos Slim frequently visits New York City as his luxurious mansion and Fifth Avenue office building are located in this city.

As a result, he has become fond of the highly lavish lifestyle of New York City.

Another reason for his attachment to this city is the business interests that he has developed over the years.

75) Wineglass Collection

Carlos has a valuable wineglass collection that can serve 25 people at a time.

Each service set has five wine glasses in it.

All of the glasses are brown in color and have Baccarat hand-carving on them.

The collection of wineglasses was formerly owned by Porfirio Díaz, who was the president of Mexico from 1876 to 1911.

76) Auguste Rodin’s Artworks

Carlos Slim Helú is a big fan of Auguste Rodin’s artworks.

He has the largest collection of Rodin’s sculpture.

They are 380 in total, which is the biggest number in the world possessed by an individual.

All of these sculptures are in the Soumaya Museum founded by him.

77) Fan Of Michelangelo’s Pietà

Carlos Slim Helú is also a huge fan of Renaissance sculpture, proven by the fact that Slim has placed a replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà in the Soumaya Museum in Mexico.

The copy cast of the rare piece of art is made in bronze.

Michelangelo’s original sculpture is of marble, and is in the Vatican City.

78) Fan Of Car Racing

Carlos Slim not only has a nice collection of magnificent cars but also has great interest in car racing.

In 2008, it was reported that he was interested in purchasing the Honda Formula One team.

Also in 2011, Telmex, a company owned by Carlos, was in the news for sponsoring the Sauber F1 team.

79) History Reading

Carlos Slim is known for his reading habits.

Reading is his passion and he enjoys going through various articles and books that highlight history.

He spends plenty of time collecting and reading history books, especially about the leader Genghis Khan and his art of warfare.

80) A Family-Oriented Person

Carlos Slim likes to spend time with family and enjoys meeting and dining with his children on weekends.

According to him, materialistic things cannot last forever; only the love of family stays forever with the person.

As he said on one occasion, “It is not (about) the money/material issue but your family, your friends, your personal life; time to appreciate the colors, the sunsets, the flowers, the weather, the places, the people.”

81) Technology Not For Slim

Although Slim owns several technology-based business empires, he admits that he does not have any understanding of how technologies work.

While responding to a technical question in an interview, he stated: “Señorita, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

In fact, Slim believes in the old factory system, monopoly and the economies of scale rather than putting his faith in technology and innovation.

82) Not Fond Of Using Computers

An interesting fact about Carlos Slim is that he does not use computers, neither in his home nor in his office.

He has a habit of recording all of his data in notebooks.

According to him, “I am a paper man, not electronic.”

He learned this habit from his father, who gave his son lessons on how to study financial sheets and how to maintain meticulous records.

83) Big Fan Of Baseball

Although the national sport of Mexico is soccer, Carlos Slim’s favorite sport is baseball.

He is a big fan of the New York Yankees, the sport’s richest team.

Slim has always followed the team religiously and possesses a computer-like knowledge about the team and its statistics.

84) Love For Art

Carlos Slim indulges in only two expensive commodities, Cuban cigars and art.

According to him, he owes his love of art to the late Soumaya Domit, his beloved wife.

In 1966, he and his wife went on their honeymoon to Europe and traveled to Naples, Greece, France and Spain where he experienced the beauty of true art.

Carlos Slim Wealth

85) Slim’s Net Worth Equals GDP of Mexico

As of now, Carlos Slim has control over 200 companies.

According to Slim, he has lost count of the exact number of companies he owns.

It is interesting to note that Slim’s total net worth is almost equal to 7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of Mexico.

86) Controls 70 % Of Mexico’s Mobile Phone Business

Carlos Slim’s phone company called Telmex has control over 80% of the landlines in Mexico.

The subsidiary of Telemex called American Móvil has control over 70% of Mexico’s cell services.

Slim is of the view that the rates his telephone companies charge to customers in Mexico are some of the cheapest found in the world.

87) First Mexican Ranked As Richest – 2010

In 2010, Carlos was the first Mexican to be ranked on the top of the list of the world’s richest people and the USA’s 16-year record was broken by him.

In addition, it was the first time that the world’s richest man was from a developing country, Mexico, and not from the United States.

88) Forbes Ranking-Richest Man in The World – 2012

For three consecutive years, Forbes ranked Carlos Slim Helú as the richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $77.5 billion as of December 2012.

The figure surpassed Bill Gates’s net worth of $64 billion and was also more than the $48 billion net worth of “poor” Warren Buffett.

Carlos Slim Inspirational

89) Alvin Toffler’s Book – An Inspiration

Slim’s secret to success is spotting opportunity early and considering it, where few else might.

He has learned these successful business strategies from a book, “Future Shock” written by Alvin Toffler, his good friend and futurist writer.

Slim met Toffler in 1993 when he was on a trip to Mexico.

90) Rebuffing Criticism

He is humble, unassuming and takes criticism lightly saying, “I think sometimes when you are successful in business, you have others trying to turn public opinion against you because they are trying to compete with you.”

Therefore, he does not pay heed to what other people think about him and remains focused on his work.

91) Simple Strategy For Making Money

Carlos Slim follows a simple approach for making money: buying up undervalued businesses at low prices and establishing them into strong monopolies.

Slim has the full support of the Mexican government and has a good friendship with the country’s president as well.

Therefore, he benefits in his business dealings from this aspect.

92) Ideal Work Schedule According To Slim

Slim described how a person over 60 years of age can utilize time productively and can be innovative and creative.

According to Forbes, he stated that “the ideal work schedule should be 10-11 hours three times per week for people over 60 to allow them to have more days to ‘innovate, create and cultivate themselves.’”

He added that the retirement age was decided “when jobs were more physical and people died at 60, but now we live until 85 or 90.”

93) Slim’s Point of View On Eliminating Poverty

Slim thinks that poverty in any society can be eliminated by establishing businesses rather than giving cash to charities.

He is of the view that creating jobs, providing quality education and improving health will help the society in every way.

He stated that,“It’s based on my conviction that poverty is not fought with donations, charity or even public spending, but that you fight it with health, education and jobs.”

On another occasion he said, “building businesses is often more beneficial for society than going around like Santa Claus.”

94) Nature Lover

Carlos Slim loves nature and enjoys the natural beauty of sea, forests, sunset colors, etc.

He regularly visits wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.

While answering a question in an interview, he said that not only art but also the beauty of nature has a place in his heart.

95) Intense Interest In Philanthropy

Carlos Slim is well known for his interest in philanthropy apart from being a successful entrepreneur.

Working for humanity forms an integral part of Slim’s business strategy to establish the positive impact of his company and contribute to the fight against poverty.

Regarding this aspect, once he said, “I’ve always said that the better off you are, the more responsibility you have for helping others.

Just as I think it’s important to run companies well, with a close eye to the bottom line, I think you have to use your entrepreneurial experience to make corporate philanthropy effective.”

Carlos Slim

96) Slim Still On Top

Forbes has again highlighted Slim’s achievements in 2013.

As per Forbes’s publication on March 5, 2013, Carlos Slim has still managed to maintain his position at the top, being the richest person on the planet.

His current estimated net worth is about $73 billion.

97) Carlos Slim And UNAM Scholarship Program

On April 8, 2013, the Carlos Slim Foundation and the UNAM Foundation granted 753 scholarships to the students of the School of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

The scholarship program aims to allow the students to improve their writing, reading and oral expression skills to equip themselves for learning.

98) Carlos Slim’s Digital Event Sets World Record

The Telemex company owned by Carlos appeared in the Guinness World Records on April 8, 2013, with its Aldea Digital (Digital Village) as the biggest “digital inclusion event” in the entire world.

It is the first time ever that Mexico broke a Guinness World Record with innovative technological developments.

99) Slim Brings Khan Academy To Latin America

In April 2013, Slim signed an agreement that aims at translating the online classes of the Khan Academy into Spanish.

The founder of this well-known online academy is Salman Khan and it has gained much popularity on YouTube.

The Carlos Slim Foundation has pledged to make payments for all of its actions in Mexico.

The Slim Foundation had become successful in translating over 500 of the videos of the Khan Academy into Spanish.

100) Getting Together With Important Business people Every Year

Carlos Slim has set the tradition of bringing billionaire business people and their families together, and has been continuing this practice for ten consecutive years.

The first business summit was held in 2003.

The main aim of arranging this meeting is to find ways to fight poverty.

Forbes Magazine while describing the first summit stated, “Some 30 of Latin America’s biggest businessmen – men with their sons or nephews in tow – gathered in Mexico City for a three-day gabfest hosted by Carlos Slim Helú, Latin America’s richest man.”