Carlos Slim Helu Stays Simple Despite Being the Richest Man in the World

A quick Google search of Carlos Slim Helu yields thousands of results – all containing at least a sentence that declares him “the world’s richest man.” True enough, Helu was named the richest in the world, according to the 2010 Forbes list of the world’s billionaires. His net worth reached $53.5 billion last year. He was declared the richest again this year, with an estimated fortune of $70 billion dollars. Some say that his wealth is equivalent to that of small countries.

Helu, however, wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Born in Mexico, the telecom tycoon and his siblings were taught basic business practices by their father, a dry goods store owner. He learned how to make, handle and invest money at a young age; he even bought his first shares in a Mexican bank at the age of 12. Helu then proceeded to study engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico while teaching algebra and linear programming.

Just a few years out of college, Helu earned $40 million by acquiring a couple of businesses. His conglomerate grew as he established and merged several other companies, mostly in construction, mining, retail, food and tobacco. But it was the telecom industry where Helu struck gold.

Today, he gets 62% of his fortune from American Movil, the leading wireless service provider in Latin America and fourth largest in the world in terms of subscribers.

But despite having all the riches one could ever dream of, Helu adheres to a simple lifestyle. The article At home with the world’s richest man says that the tycoon did not adapt well to a lavish lifestyle. He stays in a six-bedroom house – quite modest for a man of his stature – a mile away from his office; he does not have a yacht or several real estate properties like other men with privileged backgrounds. His only passion, aside from business, is fine art.

It’s good to know that despite being the richest man in the world, Helu remains a grounded and humble person.