Ricardo Salinas Pliego Reveals Multi-Million Dollar Losses and Business Betrayals

MEXICO CITY – Prominent Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego recently opened up about substantial financial setbacks and personal betrayals he has faced in his career. In a candid interview, Salinas Pliego revealed a loss of $400 million, attributing it to a business partner's deceit. "I felt like an idiot because they made a fool of me," he stated, reflecting on the emotional impact of the incident. Salinas Pliego further detailed a separate $700 million loss from a satellite venture. This ambitious project, designed to compete with industry giants like Starlink and OneWeb, saw his 90% partner, Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, withdraw during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. "When COVID hit, Masa got scared, he pulled out, he threw the business, and he threw me into it," Salinas Pliego recounted, explaining that he was left unable to cover the remaining 90% of the business. Despite these significant financial blows, Salinas Pliego emphasized that his personal life remained largely unchanged, stating, "It's only 3% of Elektra. Instead of having 35%, now I have 32%. I still have the same house, the same cars, the same planes, the same shares. Nothing changed."