How much does the wealth of these magnates surpass the GDP of South American nations?

Of the 89 Latin Americans that figure in the list of Forbes billionaires, five of them have managed to build capital greater than the GDP of any country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through successful and active companies in various sectors such as banking, real estate, and mining, these people have accumulated enormous fortunes. The patrimony of these five magnates is greater than that of countries such as Belize, Nicaragua, and the great majority of the countries of the Antilles.

The richest man in Latin America, Carlos Slim Helú, 78, heads the annual list of billionaires of Forbes magazine. The Mexican ranked seventh with a fortune of 67,100 million dollars, higher than the GDP of Costa Rica, which, according to figures from the World Bank, was 57,435 billion in 2016. Slim and his family control América Móvil, the company of the largest mobile telecommunications in the continent. In addition, he has also invested in a variety of projects such as real estate, construction, and mining in his country.

He has also been recognized as a great philanthropist and art collector, founding in 1994 a non-profit museum in the Mexican capital, the Soumaya Museum.

Followed in Latin America is the Brazilian Jorge Paulo Lemann, who occupies the twenty-ninth (29) place in the world. His great fortune derives from the assets and power he has over Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest brewery in the world. The 78-year-old Brazilian also has assets in Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King chain. Its capital was marked at 27.400 million dollars, while that of El Salvador was 26.797 billion in 2016.

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Joseph Safra, Lemann's compatriot, is also among the richest men in Brazil. Safra is ranked 36th in Forbes and, without forgetting, is one of the most successful bankers in the world. Its value was established at 23,500 million dollars, 2 billion more of the GDP of Honduras, which was 21,517 billion. Safra, together with his family, owns one of the largest banks in Brazil, Banco Safra, as well as J. Safra Sarasin in Switzerland, created in 2013.

Germán Larrea Mota follows Carlos Slim as one of the richest men in Mexico and in the world, occupying the 72nd position. The Mexican is CEO and owner of a large part of Grupo México, one of the largest mining companies in Mexico, which also operates in Peru and the United States. Despite having a huge fortune of 17.300 billion dollars, the mining magnate is known for his unnoticed and avoid being seen in public. He is considered one of the most mysterious millionaires. The 76-year-old Mexican has a net worth of a little more than 3 billion that the GDP of the Caribbean state, Jamaica.

Finally, there is Iris Fontbona, a 75-year-old Chilean woman who is ranked 80th on Forbes' annual list. In addition to being among the five most multi-millionaires in the region, Chile is the richest woman in Latin America. Fontbona is a widow and heir of the fortune of Andrónico Luksic, who before dying of cancer in 2005, built a large capital of the mining and beverage industry. Now, Fontbona and her children control Antofagasta Plc, a Chilean mining company and largest trader on the London Stock Exchange. Her patrimony is of 16,300 thousand million dollars, greater than the one of the same Donald Trump and that the GDP of Jamaica and Nicaragua, that as soon as it arrives at the 13.230 billion.

Latin American Post | Pedro Bernal
Translated from "La riqueza de estos cinco millonarios latinos supera la de países enteros"