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

CARLOS SLIM

THE RICHEST
MAN IN THE WORLD

CARLOS SLIM

THE RICHEST
MAN IN THE WORLD

Copyright 2012 Jos Martnez

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

PUBLISHERS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Martnez, Jos (Martnez M.)
Carlos Slim : the richest man in the world / an authorized biography
by Jos Martnez. -- Bob Or 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 Hel, 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
business. 8.Work-life balance. I. Title.

HC132.5.S55 M37 2012
338/.04092--dc23 1211

Printed in the USA

THE RICHEST
MAN IN THE WORLD

AN AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY
BY JOS MARTINEZ

BOB OR EDITION

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

In 2010, Forbes magazine placed Carlos Slim at the top of the list of the worlds richest men. Slim, whose fortune was estimated at that time at US $53.5 billion, has captured the spotlight for quite some time. Consequently, public interest in Slims 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 Mexicos 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 Russells 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 nations 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 created a new class of wealthy Mexicans with a fresh, energetic and ambitious mentality. This modern mindset has secured their association with international business. Slim, the creator of Mexicos largest business, is one of the main representatives of this elite class that symbolizes the growth and power of new financial capital.

His story is one that is typical of a self-made man: Slim lost his father when he was barely thirteen years old, but it was from him that he inherited his entrepreneurial spirit.

Because of his prominent position in the economic world, he is seen from abroad as one of the builders of the country. He has been considered by the specialized media in the United States, Japan and Europe as among the most important leaders of globalization due to his vision in the business world.

This icon of shrewd financial sense has created his own philosophy and has defined himself as a temporary administrator, plain and simple.

His business career has not been accusation-free, and, forced by circumstances, he has from time to time come out publicly against unfounded attacks.

As an archaeologist of finance, he learned to decipher the codes of the financial system during the crisis of the eighties and nineties; he hung on by a thread when few dared to risk investing capital.

People want to know the key to his success.

It is common to go into libraries around the globe to sift through the pages of books about those who have found the road to success and who are today considered triumphant. People want to know what the secret is.

This book consists of more than the life story of a very successful businessman and how he went about building his empire. It is also an outline of Mexicos immediate history. It is about the new conquest in which, without having raised a sword or having shot a single bullet, Mexico has risen to power in the Americas and seeks to spread its influence to Europe and Asia. It is the story of a modern conquistador, a new breed unto himselfa man who has created a fathomless amount of wealth thanks to his vision and talent. One of his greatest skills was his ability to surround himself with collaborators and friends who were able to share his way of thinking. In this, he followed the advice of Henry Ford and surrounded himself with smart people, including people who are even smarter than him. This is the biography of a man who breaks the paradigms of the conquerors that came before him. In four decades, he has managed to amass a massive fortune, but a fortune not comprised solely of money.

One of Slims more surprising qualities is his sensitivity. In Latin America, business moguls and wealthy men have been compared to loan sharks that always seek out what is to their best advantage; they accumulate and hoard large quantities of money. Instead of employees, they prefer slaves and would rather not spend a penny on wages. But this Mexican tycoon is different.