Rank 16
Carlos Slim Helu & family
90B
Telecom
Mexico City
Mexico
- Every Sunday, Slim's father would give him a 5-peso allowance and required him to record his purchases in a ledger.
- Before going into business, Slim taught algebra at UNAM, a university in Mexico City.
- Mexico's richest person, Carlos Slim Helú and his family control América Móvil, Latin America's biggest mobile telecom firm.
- With foreign telecom partners, Slim bought a stake in Telmex, Mexico's only phone company, in 1990. Telmex is now part of América Móvil.
- He also owns stakes in Mexican construction, consumer goods, mining and real estate companies. He previously held a 17% stake in The New York Times.
- His son-in-law Fernando Romero designed the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City, home to Slim's extensive, eclectic art collection.
- Slim and his family own 76% of Grupo Carso, one of Latin America's largest conglomerates.