AGE: 60
OCCUPATION: Mexican monopolist
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 1
PRO: The telecom kingpin dominates Latin America's mobile-phone market, allowing him to amass a personal fortune of more than $60 billion. Last year, he surprised observers by loaning $250 million to the ailing New York Times Co.
CON: Journalism experts frowned on the Times Co. arrangement, saying it would compromise the paper's coverage of Slim's business dealings.