Carlos Slim Helú is one of the richest people in the world. Here's how the business magnate did it. : Imagine if the grocery store, the cell phone provider, and biggest national construction outfit were all owned by the same company. You could buy just about anything and never have to enrich any competitors. That's essentially the situation in Mexico, where one of the world's richest people, Carlos Slim Helú, resides. How he amassed his wealth – $65 billion in 2017, according to Forbes — is a study in both business acumen and political connections. (See also: "Carlos Slim's Net Worth.")