Mexico’s new robber barons

“Growing up in Mexico City, I always knew Mexico was an unjust country - a place where small coteries of the privileged control all power and wealth while half the population lives in poverty. But it never occurred to me that Mexico would have billionaires.

It does. According to Forbes magazine, last year there were 10 Mexicans among the world’s 946 billionaires.

That might not seem out of line in a country with 100 million-plus people, which accounts for about 1.6 percent of the global economy. But here’s what takes the cake, especially if you’re Mexican like me. Earlier this month, Fortune reported that Carlos Slim Helu, a Mexican, had just surpassed Bill Gates to become the world’s richest man, with a fortune worth $59 billion.”

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