Carlos Slim: Shy psychic billionaire shopping for Saks?

While his name may conjure up images of Wild West gunslingers, Carlos Slim is, by all accounts, among the shyest multi-billionaires in the world. However, as he increases his holdings of The New York Times (NYT) and appears to be considering a possible takeover of Saks (SKS), it seems likely that his deeply cherished privacy is soon to be invaded.

Wondering where Carlos Slim Helú ("Slim" is adapted from "Selim") gets his money? The son of a Lebanese-born dry goods salesman, he studied engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. After playing around in the stock market, he purchased a soda company and a printing company, followed by a tobacco company in 1981. This, in turn, led to a buying spree in the early eighties. Over the years, a combination of rising values and almost preternaturally wise investing has transformed him into Mexico's most powerful mogul.