Factbox: Carlos Slim, the Latin American Midas

(Reuters) - Key facts about Mexican businessman Carlos Slim, the world's richest man who built his multibillion-dollar empire by purchasing troubled companies and turning them around.
Here are some facts about the entrepreneur:
* Carlos Slim was born in Mexico on January 28, 1940, the son of a Lebanese immigrant who built a small fortune by purchasing properties at cheap prices during the Mexican Revolution and running the "Orient Star" general store.
* Slim is an engineer by profession and graduated from Mexico's public National Autonomous University, or UNAM, and is a die-hard fan of the school's soccer team, Pumas.
* Despite his immense wealth, he keeps a relatively discreet security staff wherever he goes and, unlike many other Mexican businessmen, avoids an ostentatious lifestyle.
* He has six children. His three sons -- Carlos, Marco Antonio and Patricio -- hold key positions at his top companies, fixed-line giant Telmex (TMX.N) (TELMEXL.MX), mobile phone company America Movil (AMX.N) (AMXL.MX) and conglomerate Grupo Carso.
* He is a sports and cigar enthusiast and an avid art collector. He is believed to own the largest number of sculptures by Auguste Rodin outside the artist's native France. These are displayed at a newly built museum in Mexico City, named after Slim's late wife, Soumaya.
* In recent years he has devoted part of his fortune to charitable work, focusing on medical treatments, organ donations and sports centers in poor areas. He has also made donations to the William J. Clinton foundation.