World's Richest Man, Carlos Slim, Visits Lebanon
Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helu, who this week topped the Forbes magazine list of the world’s richest billionaires, held talks in Beirut Friday aimed at boosting investments between the two countries.
Slim, the son of Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Mexico in 1902, and his delegation met Lebanon’s premier Saad Hariri at his residence in downtown Beirut.
He arrived in Beirut Thursday and also held talks with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.
The Forbes list, released Wednesday, valued Slim’s fortune at 53.5 billion dollars, 500 million dollars ahead of long-time list topper Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. Legendary investor Warren Buffet was third with 47 billion dollars.
Slim, 70, owns the telecommunications company Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) and the mobile phone operator America Movil, the department store firm Grupo Sanborns and many other companies brought together into the Carso Group, which employs around 210,000 people in Mexico.
Although he has now left the management of most of his companies in the hands of his children, Slim remains active in strategy for business expansion, philanthropy, construction of roads and buildings, among other ventures.
Deutsche Presse-AgenturAGENTUR