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During a recent visit to Mexico City, where she'll perform a series of concerts at the Foro Sol, Colombian singer Shakira couldn't pass up the opportunity of visiting the recently inaugurated Soumaya Museum, to which she was accompanied by Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim and his son Carlos Slim Domit.

For almost two hours, the singer got a chance to take in the more than 60,000 works of art from Slim's private art collection, which spans the 15th through 20th centuries. Slim served as Shakira's host and cultural guide. The mogul named the museum in honor of his late wife, Soumaya, who died in 1999.

According to witnesses, Shakira was quite pleased with her visit to the museum, which was closed to the public. That, of course, didn't stop stargazers and museum patrons from lining up and waiting for the singer to conclude her visit.

After the tour, Shakira was invited to the philanthropist's home for supper, where the singer dined with the mogul's daughter, Johanna, her husband and children for about two hours.

Witnesses say that after dinner, Shakira was escorted by Slim to a private car that swept her off to her hotel, where she is reportedly staying until today.

Shakira's friendship with Slim dates back to 2008, when the singer visited Mexico to promote the ALAS (Wings) Foundation, which promotes childhood development in Latin America. The benefit concert was staged at Zócalo, the main public square in Mexico City. Forbes magazine ranked Slim the world's richest man for the past two years, with an estimated worth of $74 billion.

Source Rafael Abreu

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Mexican born-billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, who ranked #1 at the recently released list of Forbes Billionaires List for 2011 with a net worth of #74 billion shows his passion and love for art as he unveils a new “public” art museum in Mexico.

The “Soumaya Museum” which was named after his late wife is situated at Plaza Carso, west of Mexico City. It has a distinct shape designed by Carlos’ architect son-in-law Fernando Romero (no news yet that talk about the shape) and walled with octagon shape silver bricks. It is said to house over 60,000 art collection of Carlos and some were identified as works of famous world artists like Rodin, Leonardo da Vinci and other European artists.

It will also feature some works of Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
The Soumaya Museum is said to be one part of an 800-million-dollar urban development project called Plaza Carso to help boost Mexico tourism and at the same time gives Mexican an additional job opportunity.

Carlos Slim was not only famous because of his money but his ladder of success is mostly the talk of the blogosphere because of the way he made his fortune. Although it has been said that Carlos had a cushy life growing up because her father is already a wealthy man, his struggle to mark his own name in the industry is somewhat phenomenal.

After finishing his studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Carlos follows his father’s footsteps and began investing in multiple businesses like the other businessmen do but he is one of the rarest person to in invest in companies when the market was weak or undergoing a recession crisis. When the economy isn’t doing so well, it can be nerve-wracking trying to decide what to do with your money. Soon enough these businesses became base of his conglomerate Grupo Carso.

“By using some business tactics and savvy negotiating Slim was able to purchase companies at extremely low prices and have a say in their various interests. With strong management skills Slim was able to increase their value exponentially in the next ten years,” according to an analyst.

The risk that he had taken certainly paid off as he is now the number 1 billionaire in the world for two consecutive years crushing down two of the world’s big names: Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

And now, he is sharing with the world with the richness he has now by donating to some charity and other foundations and helping his home Mexico to be one of the tycoon countries in the world in the future.

From left: US presenter Larry King, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, his daughter Soumaya Slim, Mexico's president, Felipe Calderón, his wife Margarita Zavala and Nobel prize laureate Gabriel García Márquez during the ribbon cutting ceremony of the museum’s grand opening day.

Some of the masterpieces you will see inside the museum: