Carlos Slim Biography and Photos

Carlos Slim Helú (born January 28, 1940) is a Mexican businessman who is largely focused on the telecommunications industry. He is the second richest person in the world with a net worth of around US$60 billion through his holdings.

Slim has a substantial influence over the telecommunications industry in Mexico and much of Latin America as well. He controls Teléfonos de México (Telmex), Telcel and América Móvil companies. Though he maintains an active involvement in his companies, his three sons Carlos Slim Domit, Marco Antonio Slim Domit and Patrick Slim Domit head them on a day-to-day basis.

Slim was born in Mexico City, Mexico. His father, Julián Slim, a Lebanese Maronite Catholic, emigrated from Lebanon at the age of 14. In 1911, Julián established a dry goods store called La Estrella del Oriente (Star of the Orient) and purchased real estate in downtown Mexico City. He and his wife, also Lebanese, had six children, of whom Carlos was the youngest boy.

Slim is the surname of Carlos' father Julián, who was called Youssef Salim before moving to Mexico, upon which he changed his first name to Julián and altered his surname to Slim. He officially became Julián Slim Haddad by adding Haddad, his mother's surname, according to the Spanish-language naming customs. In Western, non-Iberian naming conventions, Carlos Slim Helú's name would be Carlos Slim.

Carlos Slim studied engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He married Soumaya Domit, also a Lebanese-Mexican, in 1967; the couple 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 who is a board member of some of Slim's companies.