World Richest Man 2013 – Carlos Slim Helu
Carlos Slim Helu was named the world’s richest man in 2013 for the third time in a row. Taking up the top spot as the richest person in the world is a major achievement and a title coveted by many tycoons and business moguls. For several years now, this has been a closely contested race between Carlos and the famous Microsoft founder, Bill Gates. After holding on to the title since 2010, he lost the spot this year to Bill Gates. Despite this, he remains to be among the wealthiest and most influential men in the world. This Mexican tycoon is an investor and philanthropist.
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According to Forbes, his net worth in March 2013 was about $73 billion, which fell to just a little over $71 billion as of December 2013. Although he has several investments, the bulk of his wealth comes from his telecommunication companies, Telmex and America Movil (Source).
Richest Man in The World 2013 Is Carlos Slim Helu
| Carlos Slim Helu Net Worth | $73 billion (According to Forbes) |
| Born On | 28th January, 1940 |
| Place of Birth | Mexico City |
| Parents | Julian Slim Haddad and Linda Helu |
| Carlos Slim Helu's Wife | Soumaya Domit Gomayel (1967-1999) |
| Children | 6 (Carlos, Vanessa, Marco Antonio, Patrick, Soumaya, and Johanna) |
Childhood
His parents are natives of Lebanon who immigrated to Mexico in the early 1900s. Julian Slim was an astute businessman who built an empire by using his natural inborn business smarts. Julian migrated to Mexico in 1902 and by 1911, he already had his own store that was in the business of selling dry goods. In 1921, Julian made a strategic move and got into the real estate business in the flourishing community of Mexico City. His venture into the real estate business saw him become a multi-millionaire.
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Julian introduced Carlos and his siblings to the business world while they were still young. Among all of Julian’s children, he showed the most interest in the business world where his father was a master of art. From a very young age, he showed signs of becoming a successful entrepreneur and had even bought shares in a Mexican bank at the age of 12. He started working with his father’s company at the age of 17 where he earned himself a steady income. Later, he went on to study Civil engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and then began pursuing his business career soon after graduating.
Business Career of the World Richest Man 2013
His business career began immediately after graduate school when he opened his own brokerage firm, ‘Inversora Bursatil’. He used the business knowledge he acquired from his father and practiced modesty to expand his wealth. In the following years, he used the profits he gained from his expanding firm to invest in companies that were on the verge of collapse. His investments went into construction, mining, and real estate. His business expansion strategy involved buying companies, restructuring management, and turning them into successful businesses.
In 1982, there was a huge economic downturn in Mexico and most business owners opted to sell their companies. He took advantage of the situation and bought several companies, including 40% of the British American Tobacco Company. During this time, he bought several financial and insurance companies and merged them to form a single conglomerate which was named ‘Seguros Inbursa’. After Mexico’s economy stabilized, his wealth grew significantly as all the companies he managed to buy or invest in increased in market value (more).
Throughout his business career, he has managed to expand his wealth by buying companies or investing in them and made a wise and strategic move when he bought Telmex from the Mexican government in 1990. Today that company has grown significantly and is responsible for 90% of Mexico’s telephone lines. Aside from Telmex, he owns another telecommunications company, America Movil. This international company provides cellular services to residents living outside of Mexico.
His staggering success in the business industry has earned him several awards such as the title ‘CEO Of The Year’ in 2003, and ‘CEO Of The Decade’ in 2004. He was awarded the Entrepreneurial Medal of Honor by Mexico’s Chamber of Commerce and was named the Gold Patron by the American Academy of Achievements.
Personal Assets
He has impeccable taste as is evident in the two homes he owns. His Duke Semans Mansion in New York, which boasts 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, has beautiful marble floors and a vintage wooden fireplace. His other home the Lomas de Chapultepec is located in an area that has stunning hills and houses Mexico’s richest people. He owns 2 cars and several collectible items that include a wine glass collection, Michelangelo’s Pieta, and several pieces of artwork done by famous artists such as Leonardo DA Vinci and Auguste Rodin that are found in his beautiful museum.
The Philanthropic Side
Aside from being a famous successful businessman, he is well known and loved for his philanthropic nature. The Lebanese government recognized this and awarded him with the National Order of the Cedar, in honor of all his charitable deeds. He has several philanthropic foundations, which include the Telmex Foundation, Soumaya Museum, and the Carso Foundation. In 2011, Carlos donated $4 billion to his foundation that deals with sports, health, and education. That same year he contributed money alongside the Mexican president to build Plaza Marina, a complex that will include a health center, market, parking lot, museum, and an evangelization center. He managed to appear in the Forbes world’s biggest givers and this nature has seen him earn an Honorary Doctorate in public service from George Washington University.
Do You Know?
He is a simple man, despite his vast wealth and billionaire Carlos Slim Helu’s house is a 6-bedroom apartment that he has occupied for 40 years and prefers to keep manual records of his businesses as opposed to using technology.
