Entrepreneurship
Carlos Slim Helu Biography | Early Life | Education | Family | Business | Wealth
| Name: | Carlos Slim Helu |
| Born: | 28 January 1940 |
| Nationality: | Mexican |
| Age: | 82 |
| Net Worth: | $80 billion |
| Spouse: | Soumaya Domit |
| Children: | Six (Marco Antonio, Patrick, Soumaya, Vanessa, and Johannaaa) |
Carlos Slim Helu was more than just another contender for the throne of the richest man in the world. Carlos bought the first stalk of his life at the age of 12; at fifteen, he was a shareholder of the largest bank in Mexico.
The business tycoon soon started investing in stocks leading him to create his stock brokerage. Slim has different businesses, starting from manufacturing, transportation, real estate, hospitality, entertainment, mass media, energy, high technology, retail, sports, and tobacco.
He is the richest man in Mexico. With his massive range of businesses, Slim is a Mexican Gautam Adani. Mr. Helu does not like to use a computer, and he does not send or receive any emails. Here is a short sketch of Carlos Slim Helu Becoming one of the 20 richest entrepreneurs in the world
Who Is Carlos Slim Helu?
Carlos Slim Helu is one of the wealthiest businessmen in the world. He is the owner of Telemax, America Movil, and Grupo Galas and the largest stakeholder in the New York Times. The Business tycoon has businesses in different industries ranging from construction, soft drink, real estate, bottling printing, and mining industries.
Slim is from a Lebanese-Christian family of immigrants who came to Mexico. His father earned a fortune in the real estate industry; Slim Helu inherited his father’s spark to grow as a businessman.
Early Life & Education
He started to learn about stocks and business from his father at a very early age. He took his father’s teaching about how to analyze, read and interpret financial statements. Carlos was a talented student. He went to the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
There he achieved a degree in Engineering. He started teaching Algebra at the very college he was a student of. He taught algebra and linear programming at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. His curiosity for economics and educational background in linear programming elevated him as a business person.
He made his business career the success story of a young investor who grew into a massive business tycoon. Carlos Slim Helu Owns a stake in Telemax, the one and only telecom company in Mexico. Moreover, he also holds 17% of the New York Times. But, as for how this journey in the business started, you need to read the sections below.
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Entrepreneurial Achievements
Carlos belonged to a wealthy family of immigrant merchants. His father came to Mexico in 1902 and changed his name to Julián Slim Haddad from Khalil Salim Haddad Aglamaz. They were among the Lebanese Christians who came to Mexico during the early 1900s.
His father started a dry goods store in 1911. The company grew enough to return $100,000 within ten years. When Carlos Slim Helu lost his father at the age of 13, he inherited it from him. He started to work for his father’s company.
He spent some time working as a stock trader in Mexico City. At the age of 25, Carlos Slim Helu had a net worth of $3.6 million in present dollars. That is when and where he started his own stock brokerage named Inversora Bursátil. Here started his journey to become the richest Hispanic in the world.
Grupo Galas
Later, during the 1970s, Carlos Slim Helu started to venture into a new and diverse range of businesses that included different industries. His increasing business portfolio had an initial focus on different industries such as – construction, soft drink, real estate, bottling printing, and mining industries.
Later, he expanded his empire by entering into aluminum, airlines, chemicals, cable and wire manufacturing, tobacco, paper, and packaging, cement, copper and mineral extraction, tires, retail, etc. His next step was to create a Group Galas, a parent for the conglomerate businesses Carlos ventured into and succeeded.
Nacobre, Química Fluor & More
In 1982, when different flagship businesses in Mexico were facing a crisis, he bought them and retained them for cash flow. He held onto these companies before selling them for a higher profit. The corporate conglomerate structure made it possible for him to purchase different stakes and hold them off.
Carlos was buying and buying. Sanborn Hermanos, a food retail and gift shop chain, came under his umbrella during this time. Not only that, but Carlos also acquired 40% of British American Tobacco and 50% of The Hershey Company. The 1980s economic downtown was a huge wealth generator for Carlos Slim Helu, and he took the best advantage of it. In 1988 Carlos bought Nacobre, a copper manufacturing company, and Química Fluor.
Telemax
Currently, the only telecom company in Mexico is owned by none other than Carlos Slim Helu. When the Mexican government started privatizing the telecom industry during the 1990s, Carlos saw it as a golden opportunity and purchased Teléfonos de México or Telemax.
Along with French and American partners, Grupo Carso, the corporate holding company of Carlos Slim Helu, Bought this famous telecom industry. Currently Telemax is under América Móvil. The company aims to offer the best communication solution to customers across the country.
New York Times
Carlos Slim Helu holds an extensive range of businesses through his company Grupo Galas. His net worth amounts to 6% of the Mexican GDP. What’s more shocking is that Carlos is the only person in the world to acquire and hold a massive 17% stake in The New York Times, making him the largest stockholder of the famous newspaper company as of 2016.
Charity
When it comes to charity, he does not follow other billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Both of them have signed the Giving Pledge, Including Mark Zukerberg. This pledge means the entrepreneurs donate more than fifty percent of their wealth to charity. However, as of 2011, Carlos Slim Helu is reported to have donated $4 billion to charity. He was also listed by Forbes as the world’s most generous philanthropist outside America.
Personal Life
Carlos met his wife Soumaya Domit at the age of 24 when she was only 16. Later, after two years, Carlos married her in 1967. With Soumaya, Carlos had six children – Marco Antonio, Patrick, Soumaya, Vanessa, and Johanna. Carlos and his wife Soumaya remained married until she died in 1999.
The widowed business tycoon never wished to remarry. He passed on massive portions of his business to three of his sons, who actively ran and monitored the day-to-day operation of his business.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Here are some of the most popular questions people usually ask about Carlos Slim Helu –
Carlos Slim Helu became one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world by buying different businesses and selling them off for a profit. During the economic crisis in Mexico, he bought many companies for a depressed price and made a profit from them. His most important income source is Telemax/ America Movil.
Carlos Slim has business in different industries. The wide range of his businesses includes Telemax, Grupo Carso, América Móvil, and a 17% stake in the New York Times. He was also the richest person in the world from 2010 to 13.
Slim Helu’s Massive grasp across different businesses made him the first Mexica n billionaire. He is also the richest Hispanic in the world. Most of his income source lies in Grupo Carso and Telemax.
Final Words
Carlos Slim Helu is an inspiration to not just Mexicans but entrepreneurs of different origins. His advice to budding entrepreneurs about solving problems can create a path for many. I hope this article was helpful for the kind of info you were looking for on Carlos. If you are looking for inspiration, I think the story of Carlos Slim can teach a thing or two about experimenting with different industries.
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