Drea Knufken
He’s no Carlos Slim, but Ricardo Pliego, like Slim, owns a fair chunk of Mexico. His holding company Grupo Elektra runs TV Azteca, the world’s second-largest Spanish language media network. Pliego’s oligarchic stable also includes controversial Mexican bank Banco Azteca, an insurance company, a pension service “for the working class,” and a credit reporting company “aimed at the working poo” [SIC]. He owns one of Mexico’s biggest retailers, Elektra, which sells everything from bus tickets to furniture to motorcycles.
Perhaps Pliego’s success with Elektra inspired him to invest in Circuit City before it went bankrupt. Pliego lost $40 million–disastrous to some, but for Pliego, it was probably more like letting a $100 bill fly out the car window.
