Top 100 Arabs 2025

12. Carlos Slim Helú

Honorary chairman, América Móvil

Origin: Lebanon/Mexico

Residence: Mexico

Sector: Telecoms

2024 Rank: 8

Carlos Slim Helú, one of the world’s most influential business magnates, began his entrepreneurial journey in 1965 with the incorporation of Inversora Bursátil, a stock brokerage firm. Over the decades, he built a vast empire spanning telecoms, finance, construction, consumer goods, mining, and real estate.

Helú is the honorary chairman of América Móvil, Latin America’s largest telecom company, which continues to thrive despite challenging market conditions. In Q4 2024, the company reported a revenue surge of 18 per cent to MXN237bn, with service revenue up 19.1 per cent and EBITDA growing 16.4 per cent to MXN91bn.

América Móvil surpassed 400 million access lines, with 323 million wireless subscribers and 35 million broadband accesses, reflecting a 4.7 per cent year-on-year growth. Mobile service revenue expanded 6.2 per cent, driven by strong performance in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Helú and his family maintain a dominant 76 per cent stake in Grupo Carso, one of Latin America’s most influential conglomerates, reinforcing their leadership across multiple industries.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem

Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa