Carlos Hank Gonzalez

Carlos Hank González was a Mexican politician and businessman who rose from humble origins as a teacher to become one of the most powerful and wealthy figures in the country. He started his career as a municipal president of Toluca and then became a federal deputy. He was appointed as the governor of the State of Mexico in 1969, where he implemented social and economic reforms. He later served as the head of the Federal District in 1976, where he oversaw the construction of the Metro system and other urban projects. He was a close ally of President José López Portillo and a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He held various cabinet positions, such as Secretary of Tourism and Secretary of Agriculture, under President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. He was also a successful entrepreneur who founded and owned several businesses in banking, transportation, and media. He was the leader of the Atlacomulco Group, a faction of the PRI that dominated the politics of the State of Mexico. He was known for his charisma, pragmatism, and patronage network. He was also accused of corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering by some of his opponents and critics. He died of a heart attack in 2001 at his hometown of Santiago Tianguistenco. He was the father of three prominent businessmen and politicians: Carlos, Cuauhtémoc, and Jorge Hank Rhon. He was also the grandfather of Carlos Hank González, who is the current head of Grupo Financiero Interacciones.