Carlos Slim Helu is presently the richest man in the world.
His worth has been quantified at US$ 53.5 billion which takes him above Bill Gates at US$ 53 Billion.
So is he an American?
No. Carlos Slim is not an American.
So does he belong to one of the developed countries like UK, Germany, France, Japan?
No, none of these.
The country he belongs to has a per capita income of $14,500 a year, and nearly 17% of the population lives in poverty. To put his achievement in the right perspective it will not be out of place to add that his wealth is the equivalent of roughly 2% of his country's annual economic output.
Yes we are talking Mexico.
But more important than that is the fact that he is an immigrant. How's that for enterprise?
Great is it not?
So from where does he actually come?
LEBANON - Surprise, Surprise.
In 1902, Julián Slim Haddad, father of Carlos Slim Helú, arrived in Mexico from Lebanon, all alone at 14 years of age, speaking no Spanish. Carlos Slim's mother, Doña Linda Helú was also Lebanese. These immigrants who arrived in Mexico at the end of the 19th century, brought the first Arabic printing press to Mexico and founded one of the first magazines for the Lebanese community in the country. Carlos was the youngest boy of six children.
Carlos Slim studied engineering but his entrepreneul skills were evident as by the time he was 26 years old, his net worth was $40 million.
He married Soumaya Domit Gemayel, also a Lebanese-Mexican, in 1967; they had six children and were married for 32 years until Domit died of a kidney ailment in 1999.
The youngest daughter, Johanna, is married to Arturo Elías Ayub, a Syrian Lebanese and a board member of some of Slim's companies.
If you have been a student of history you will understand the link with Lebanon and the aggressive and smart trading. Yes, Lebanon was the starting point for the Phoenicians who were the first to explore the Mediterranean Sea route for trade. They were so good that even the Romans envied them.
Jumping Genes???
Reminds me of Carl Lewis! it's a very long jump.
Best regards,
Manoj
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