Carlos Slim: The Richest Man in the World/The Authorized Biography

242 Pages·2013·1.67 MB·English

by  Jose' Martinez

CARLOS SLIM
THE RICHEST
MAN IN THE WORLD
CARLOS SLIM
THE RICHEST
MAN IN THE WORLD
© Copyright 2012 José Martínez
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in whole or in
part, by any means whatsoever, except for passages excerpted for the purposes
of review, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information,
or to order additional copies, please contact: TitleTown Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 12093 Green Bay, WI 54307-12093
920.737.8051 | titletownpublishing.com
Translator and Editor: Alecs Kakon
Original Designer: Natasha Dierwechter
Copy Editor: Amanda Bindel
Cover Design: Erika L. Block
Interior Layout and Design: Erika L. Block PUBLISHER’S CATALOGING-IN-
PUBLICATION DATA: Martínez, José (Martínez M.)
Carlos Slim : the richest man in the world / an authorized biography
by José Martínez. -- Bob Oré ed. -- Green Bay, WI : TitleTown Pub.,
c2012.
p. ; cm.
ISBN: 978-0-9852478-1-2
Summary: Carlos Slim has become synonymous with business success and
economic power. Starting to build his fortune at the age of 14, this authorized
biography reveals the boy and the man behind the name, complete with advice
from the richest man on Earth on how to maintain a balanced life, inspiring
readers to achieve their own destiny. He is a blueprint for how to turn adversity
into success.
1. Slim Helú, Carlos, 1940-2. Businessmen--Mexico--
Biography. 3. Entrepreneurship--Mexico. 4. Philanthropists--
Mexico--Biography. 5. Mexico--Economic conditions--20th century.
6. Mexico--Economic conditions--21st century. 7. Success in
6. Mexico--Economic conditions--21st century. 7. Success in
business. 8.Work-life balance. I. Title.
HC132.5.S55 M37 2012
338/.04092--dc23 1211
Printed in the USA
CARLOS SLIM
THE RICHEST
MAN IN THE WORLD
AN AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY
BY JOSÉ MARTINEZ
BOB ORÉ EDITION
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE EASTERN EXILE
THE EASTERN STAR
THE DYNASTY
SLIM’S PHILOSOPHY
PHILANTHROPIST AND PATRON
THE COLLECTOR
THE MIRROR OF KING MIDAS
THE CONQUEROR
SMART MONEY
POLITICS AS A HOBBY
A SUCCESSFUL MAN
EXPANSION
THE AMERICAN DREAM
POWER WITHOUT BORDERS
A SELF-MADE MAN
WHERE THERE IS MONEY THERE IS DYNASTY
LEGACY: HEIRS OF AN EMPIRE
APPENDICES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FOOTNOTES
To my mother, Elvia Mendoza Jaramillo, a life
example and to the memory of my father Ismael
Martinez Leon, teacher and guide.
“Money is the most important thing in the world. It represents health, strength,
honor, generosity and beauty as conspicuously as the want of it represents
illness, weakness, disgrace, meanness and ugliness.”
George Bernard Shaw
INTRODUCTION
In 2010, Forbes magazine placed Carlos Slim at the top of the list of the
world’s richest men. Slim, whose fortune was estimated at that time at US $53.5
billion1, has captured the spotlight for quite some time. Consequently, public
interest in Slim’s story grows more and more each day.
The Slim family arrived in Mexico more than one hundred years ago.
During that time, four generations have been born and raised. His immense
wealth has made the name “Slim” one of the most popular in Mexico. Unlike
other rich Mexicans who have often been caught between glamour and scandal,
the Slim dynasty has maintained an unusual respectability. Although not directly
involved in politics, the charismatic tycoon has become an influential personality
in Mexico’s economic, political, social, and cultural life.
In other times, the economic empire of the Slim family might have made
them the undisputed ruling family of Mexico. Though rich and powerful, the
Slim family is simple, well mannered, and seemingly informal, far from the
expected posh attitude of the financial elite. Fifth in the line of six brothers, Slim
began to build the foundations of his vast empire at the age of twenty-five.
At his bedside, he keeps Bertrand Russell’s The Conquest of Happiness.
Slim believes Russell to be one of the last great humanitarians of the West.
Russell held that the secret to happiness consists of not being a complete
imbecile. He said in order to be reasonably happy, one needs only to think and
behave properly. He further asserted that one must never stop being inventive or
stop doing and if at all possible, doing whatever it is he is doing selflessly.
Undoubtedly with this in mind, Slim has said many times that his main job is to
“think.”
Thus, this journalistic investigation aims to portray, without distortion, the
richest and most powerful man in the history of Mexico who has emerged as the
largest investor in the twenty-first century.
His name is associated with the world of money, but serving others has
been one of the keys to his success. A vital character of globalization, he built
his empire in a country that opened its doors to his parents. The vast majority of
entrepreneurs began to jump ship by safeguarding their capital in banks abroad
while the nation’s coffers emptied, Slim put his trust in his country.
Far from the stories of avarice and greed of the past, when the meaning of
life was equated with amassing wealth, the rise of neo-liberal economics has