Wealth of Mexicans in the Forbes list equals 9.4% of GDP

In a country of 130 million inhabitants, a small group of 22 Mexican business families accumulated at the end of 2024 a joint fortune of 167 thousand 100 million dollars, an amount equivalent to 9.4 percent of the value of the national economy or 1.3 times the balance of the external debt of the federal government, according to information disclosed on Tuesday by the US publication Forbes and official data.

The fortune of the 22 entrepreneurs that appear on the list of Forbes Of this 2025 it is, in comparative terms, 2.5 times the reasses of remittances of last year, which were 64,745 million dollars or 1.3 times the net balance of the external debt of the federal government, which at the end of 2024 was 123 thousand 879 million dollars, according to official figures.

Again, Carlos Slim occupies the first place among the most wealthy Mexicans in the country, followed by Germán Larrea, María Asunción Aramburuzabala and Alejandro Bailleres. There are cases such as Fernando Chico Pardo or the Coppel Luken brothers, who did not appear in the publication before the arrival of the Government of the so -called Fourth Transformation.

The 22 entrepreneurs in question appeared on the list of Forbes Since last year, and the accumulated fortune among all in 2024 added 199 thousand 700 million dollars, so the figure of this year implied a decrease of 17.3 percent or 34 thousand 600 million.

The fortune of Carlos Slim, owner of Grupo Carso, América Móvil, Telmex, among other firms, in this year’s list was estimated at 82 thousand 500 million dollars, a 19.1 percent lower or 19,500 million dollars number less than the previous year, when its assets were estimated at 102 billion dollars. German Larrea, executive director of Grupo México, conglomerate of signatures with participation in the mining or rail industry, is the second most wealthy Mexican, with a wealth estimated at 28 thousand 600 million dollars in the 2025 list. The figure is 2.5 percent higher compared to the 27 million 900 thousand dollars calculated in 2024.

Then there is María Asunción Aramburuzabala, general director of Tresalia Capital, whose assets were estimated at 9 billion dollars, an increase of 42.8 percent or 2,700 million compared to the previous year.

Fourth is Alejandro Bailleres Gual, son of Alberto Bailleres, who is the executive director of Grupo Bal, business conglomerate who has signatures such as Peñoles, Palacio de Hierro and GNP, among others. Its wealth was estimated on this year’s list at 8 thousand 100 million dollars, a growth of 11 percent.

Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s fortune, owner of Grupo Salinas, is estimated at 4,900 million dollars, 63 percent lower compared to 2024, when his fortune was estimated at 13,400 million.

Carlos Hank Rhon, owner of Grupo Hermes is the sixth in the list of Mexicans, with an estimated equity at 4 billion dollars, 9 percent smaller if compared to the 4,400 million calculated in 2024.

These entrepreneurs appear in the list from before the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador began.

Those who were not

Fernando Chico Pardo, president of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Airport Group, is the eighth entrepreneur with the largest fortune in Mexico, with an estimated assets of 2,800 million dollars. It is one of the people who were not in the list of Forbes Before the 4T government, its first appearance was in 2021.

Another similar case is that of the Coppel Luken brothers: Enrique, Rubén, Alberto, José and Agustín, the latter, the executive director of Grupo Coppel. The fortune among the five brothers is calculated at 8 billion dollars, 15 percent lower figure compared to the previous year. None appeared in the list until last year.

The list also appears people like Juan Domingo Beckmann Legorreta, from Becle, produced by José Cuervo, with 1,900 million dollars and who entered the list in 2021; Roberto Hernández Ramírez, former president of the Banamex Council, with 1,900 million dollars and Alfredo Harp Helú, with a assets of one billion dollars.