Carlos Slim Helú

Early life

Carlos Slim Helú was born in Mexico City on January 28, 1940, to parents who identified as Maronite Christians from Lebanon. From a young age, he showed an interest in business and was taught finance, management, and accounting by his father. He learned the importance of record-keeping and analyzing financial statements, and at the age of 11, he invested in a government savings bond which taught him about compound interest.

Slim was married to Soumaya Domit from 1967 until her death in 1999. She was deeply involved in various philanthropic initiatives. Slim has six children, with his three eldest sons playing critical roles in the companies he controls, helping to manage the day-to-day operations of his business empire. In 1999, he underwent heart surgery. During his high school years, he had a keen interest in history, cosmography, and mathematics. He had a strong and happy marriage with his wife and has no intention of remarrying.

In his office, Slim prefers to keep track of his financial data through hand-written notebooks rather than using a computer. Despite the large size of his business empire, he often jokingly comments that he can’t keep up with all the companies he manages. Slim is a Maronite Catholic and is one of the prominent supporters of the Legion of Christ, a Roman Catholic religious institute.

Career

After completing his university education in 1961, Slim embarked on his business journey as a stock trader in Mexico, often putting in 14-hour workdays. By 1965, his private investments had generated a profit of $400,000, allowing him to set up the stock brokerage firm Inversora Bursátil.

Slim made his first stock purchase at the age of 12 and by the age of 15, he became a shareholder in Mexico’s largest bank. He earned 200 pesos per week working for his father’s company at the age of 17. He studied civil engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and taught algebra and linear programming there. Although his major was in civil engineering, he had a keen interest in economics and took additional courses in Chile.

He got his start as a businessman at a young age, buying shares in Mexican companies and using his investment profits to purchase more shares. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he continued to expand his business holdings, eventually creating Grupo Carso in 1990.

Slim’s background in civil engineering and his expertise in mathematics and linear programming gave him an edge in the business world, especially when analyzing financial statements and making investment decisions.

He also began building the foundation for his eventual conglomerate, Grupo Carso, by acquiring the Mexican soft drink company Jarritos del Sur. In 1966, with a net worth of $40 million, he founded Inmuebles Carso, a real estate and holding company.

Slim’s wealth has been largely generated through his ownership of America Movil, the largest mobile telecom firm in the Spanish-speaking world, which provides phone and internet services in numerous Latin American countries.

In addition to his business pursuits, Slim is also known for his philanthropy and has donated large sums of money to education, health, and cultural organizations in Mexico and around the world. Despite his wealth, Slim is known for his modest lifestyle and for being a low-profile individual.

Net Worth

Carlos Slim Helú’s net worth was estimated to be around $64 billion USD.

Achievement

Throughout his years, he has received numerous awards and achievements. Here are some of the highlights:

Her Majesty Queen Sofía presided over the Sophia Awards for Excellence award ceremony, presented to Carlos Slim and Spanish chef José Andrés, among others

Recognized at the 4th Edition of the Ibero-American Patron of the Arts Awards by the Callia Foundation for social commitment to the arts (2018)

Received the Humanitarian Award from Andrea Bocelli Foundation (2017)

Granted the Appeal of Conscience Award by The Appeal of Conscience Foundation (2016)

Recognized by Mexico’s Secretary of Health for achievements in organ and tissue donation and transplants by the Carlos Slim Foundation (2015)

Mexico's business leader with the best reputation (2015) according to the Corporate Business Reputation Monitor (Merco)

Received the International Recognition Award 2015 for contributions to improve global health

Recognized by UNESCO with the UNESCO Medal for contributions to Information and Communication Technologies (2015)

Forbes Magazine ranks the Carlos Slim Foundation as Mexico's most charitable business foundation (2015)

Received the Friars Club's Icon Award for philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors (2014)

Received the Starlite Humanitarian Award 2014 for philanthropic work (2014)

Recognized as Mexico’s businessman with the best reputation by the Corporate Reputation Business Monitor (Merco) (2014)

Granted the World Telecommunication and Information Society Award 2014 by the International Telecommunications Union (2014)

Received Medal of Honour from ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña (2013)

Honored with the Business Council for International Understanding's 2012 Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Leadership Award (2012)

Received the Gibran National Committee Award for contribution to spreading the knowledge of Gibran Khalil Gibran (2012)

Awarded for Leadership in Philanthropy by President Bill Clinton at the Sixth Annual Clinton Global Citizen Awards (2012)

Named Honorific Grade Doctor by George Washington University for philanthropic work and contributions to business and community development (2012)

Received the “Paz y Democracia” Prize in Investment and Development category from the José Pagés Llergo Foundation (2012)

Awarded the Red Cross Badge of Honor and Merit for long-standing humanitarian trajectory (2012)

Awarded the Red Cross Badge of Honor and Merit for long-standing humanitarian trajectory (2012)

Received the prize Quién 50, aimed at honoring the most influential persons in Mexico’s public opinion (2011)

Received the “Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz” Prize for promoting culture and science (2011)