The World's Richest Man, Carlos Slim Is Becoming Too Americanized!

Mexican Billionaire - Carlos Slim

Would you believe that the world’s richest man is a Mexican by the name of Carlos Slim? He is a telecom czar who is worth a staggering $74 billion according to Forbes Magazine. However, his name and wealth are not popular outside Mexico. He is even richer than Bill Gates whose name is synonymous with wealth in America.

Well, Carlos is making big moves into the US by buying shares of the New York Post which is a very “mainstream” American publication. He has also bought prime real estate in NYC. In other words, he is becoming Americanized. Maybe even too Americanized for his own good. You may ask why I said that, but I have a reason. I'm all for investors spreading their wings and having assets every where, but buying shares in the New York Post? Really?

I wonder why he would buy shares of the New York Post. I personally interact with and love Mexicans and other nationalities, however, thanks to the American media; people’s perception of them is often negative. Even noted Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie during her speech titled, "The Danger Of A Single Story"  on TED which is available at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg From 8.26 min - 9.26 min of the video she states, "A few years ago, I visited Mexico from the US. The political climate in the US at the time was tense and there were debates going on about immigration. And as often happens in America, immigration became synonymous with Mexicans. There were endless stories of Mexicans as people who were fleecing the health care system, sneaking across the border, being arrested at the border, that sort of thing. I remember walking around on my first day in Guadalajara, watching the people go to work, rolling up tortillas in the market place, smoking, laughing. I remember first feeling slight surprise and then I was overwhelmed with shame. I realized that I had been so immersed in the media coverage of Mexicans that they had become one thing in my mind, the abject immigrant. I had bought into the single story of Mexicans and I could not have been more ashamed of myself.”

Mexicans often aren't portrayed positively in the American media. It's been like that for some time. However, in recent years with immigration being a passionately debated "issue", Mexicans are the face of immigration. The maintstream media is rife  with stories of Mexicans as people who are constantly sneaking across the border, gang members, fleecing the healthcare and educational systems and taking jobs away from Americans. So, it was to my utmost surprise to learn that Carlos who is a Mexican owns 7% of the New York Post.

I have no doubt that his 7% ownership didn't come cheap. But my question is, "Is that the best use of his money? I’m certainly not saying that as a telecom business mogul he shouldn’t buy profitable businesses. If he didn't do that he wouldn't be rich. However, considering that the media can be used for propaganda and is being used against his own people, he should have used some of that money to help improve many Hispanic/Latina publications or even start his own publication(s) in the US to correct his people’s negative image and depict them positively.

I guess at the end of the day it’s not about philanthropy or correcting images. It is about business and profit. However, with the media industry the way it currently is, I doubt if he’ll make the ROI he thought he would by investing in the New York Post. I hope Carlos realizes that at the end of the day, his people are his people and since he has been so blessed, he should be his Mexican brothers and sisters keeper, so that he can be divinely blessed financially, spiritually and morally.