Carlos Slim Helú: "World's Richest" List Has New Número Uno

Telmex magnate Carlos Slim Helú ( at left) is now the world's richest man, if a respected Mexico financial analyst has crunched the numbers correctly. Eduardo García, director of financial newsletter Sentido Común (Common Sense) says Slim has vaulted past Bill Gates, the former Número Uno, thanks to the rise in stock price of Slim's América Móvil, the largest cell phone company in Latin America.

García estimates Slim's wealth conservatively at $67.8 billion. Using the same methods to analyze Gates's wealth, García puts the Microsoft founder at $59 billion and change.

García released his findings late last week, and the story was quickly snapped up by news agencies internationally. The story has appeared in newspapers and websites across Latin America-not surprising, given América Móvil's prominence in those markets-and the U.S.

One news organization that has not reacted is Forbes, whose own ranking of the world's richest is considered by many to be the ultimate list. Forbes releases its list in September, and has said that it will review its ranking of Slim at that time. Earlier this year, in April, Forbes bumped Slim up to the number two spot, demoting stock guru Warren Buffett to third place.

So far, Slim lags behind Gates and Buffett on another front-charitable giving-but he recently has begun increasing his donations. On June 21, Slim donated $100 million to the Clinton Foundation, created by former President Bill Clinton, to be used to combat world poverty. The next day it was announced that Slim will create a new museum in Mexico City (also known as the Distrito Federal, or Federal District) to house a collection of 60,000-plus works of art owned by Grupo Carso, the business conglomerate Slim heads up.

Best Regards,

Suzan Haskins
Editor, Mexico Insider
International Living

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