Carlos Slim Helú is a Mexican business magnate and the Chairman and CEO of :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}, :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}, and :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. Actively managing his companies together with his sons, Slim became the world’s richest individual as of April 2010, with a personal net worth estimated at 60 billion USD.

Carlos Slim Helú was born in 1940 in Mexico City as the fifth of six children. His father, Julian Slim Haddad Aglamaz (also known as Yusef Salim Haddad Aglamaz), was a Lebanese Roman Catholic who fled the Ottoman territories in 1902 and settled in Mexico City. In 1911, he founded a dry-goods store called La Estrella del Oriente (“Star of the East”) and gradually began acquiring properties in the city center. He later married the daughter of another Lebanese merchant.

When his father passed away in 1952, he left behind a fortune with strong growth potential. Carlos Slim Helú followed closely in his father’s footsteps and graduated as an engineer in 1961 from National Autonomous University of Mexico. Even before completing his degree, he taught algebra and linear programming, gave lectures at public and private institutions, and participated in United Nations-related economic commissions for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Adhering to a philosophy of long-term value creation, Carlos Slim Helú became involved in retail and financial services. He served as Vice Chairman of the Mexican Stock Exchange and as Chairman of the Mexican Association of Brokerage Firms. Between 1996 and 1998, he chaired the Latin American Committee of the New York Stock Exchange.

In July 2004, Slim resigned from the board of SBC Communications to devote more time to the World Education and Development Foundation. Until April 2006, he also served on the boards of Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris) and Alcatel. Over 28 years in business, he built the powerful financial and industrial conglomerate Grupo Carso, while also leading Teléfonos de México, América Móvil, and Grupo Financiero Inbursa.

In 1990, during the administration of Carlos Salinas, Carlos Slim Helú acquired multiple state-owned investment groups from the Mexican government, paving the way for the expansion of his empire. Among these acquisitions was Telmex, in a deal that included international partners such as France Telecom and Southwestern Bell Company. His dominance in fixed-line and mobile markets led to criticism over monopolistic practices and rising communication costs.

Carlos Slim Helú has received numerous honors, including the Entrepreneurship Honor Medal from Mexican business organizations, the Golden Plate Award, and the Commander of the Order of Leopold II awarded by the Belgian government.

As the wealthiest individual in Latin America, Carlos Slim Helú ranked third on Forbes’ Billionaires List in 2006. In 2010, with a net worth of 60 billion USD, he rose to the top position as the world’s richest person.

Carlos Slim Helú is the father of six children and resides in Mexico City. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of December 27, 2016, he ranked 6th among the world’s richest individuals with a personal fortune estimated at 49.2 billion USD.

Source: Biyografiler.com