BTC96,487.98 USD▲ 0.87%
LTC89.23 USD▲ 4.03%
XRP2.15 USD▲ 0.37%
DOGE0.1714 USD▲ 0.49%
ETH1,812.27 USD▲ 0.65%
ETC16.15 USD▲ 1.29%
BCH370.55 USD▲ 2.37%
BNB601.80 USD▼ -0.04%
TRX0.2457 USD▲ 0.15%
SOL146.31 USD▲ 0.07%
KAS0.0902 USD▲ 0.55%

Billionaire Abandons Gold for ‘Hard Asset’

Mexican Business Magnate Ricardo Salinas Holds 70% of His Portfolio in Bitcoin

Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas has doubled down on his Bitcoin belief, with the cryptocurrency now making up 70% of his investment portfolio. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, the business empire owner stated he currently does not own any bonds or foreign stocks—just Bitcoin, gold, and equity in his own companies. Despite a 70% collapse in his company Grupo Elektra’s stock price and an ongoing legal standoff with Mexican tax authorities, Salinas urges investors to think long-term and “buy as much as you can,” asserting that the first cryptocurrency will continue to only rise in value.

Betting on “The Hardest Asset in the World”

In his Bloomberg interview, Salinas, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $5.1 billion, outlined his investment strategy, noting: “I don’t have a single bond, and I don’t have any other stocks except my own.”

The billionaire strongly advocates for Bitcoin, calling it “the hardest asset in the world” and encouraging investors to take a long-term approach. “You have to think 10 years and buy everything as you can. It’s not going to go anywhere except up,” Salinas stated.

The key reason Bitcoin is more appealing than gold, according to the billionaire, is its limited supply—just 21 million coins, of which 20 million have already been mined. “Gold gets inflated about 3% a year… Bitcoin doesn’t,” emphasized the businessman.

“Salinas’s approach to investing reflects a fundamental shift in how Bitcoin is perceived among traditional financiers,” comments Alex Peterson, a financial analyst and cryptocurrency expert. “Where cryptocurrencies were once viewed exclusively as speculative instruments, now more and more institutional investors and business leaders see Bitcoin as a long-term store of value, an alternative to gold, and a tool for protection against inflation.”

Salinas recommends dollar-cost averaging as the optimal strategy for investing in Bitcoin. “Buy so much per month… that will take the uncertainty away,” he advises.

Business Challenges and Strategic Pivot

The Mexican billionaire’s statements came against the backdrop of serious problems in his business empire. Shares of Grupo Elektra, Salinas’s flagship company, have plummeted by 70%, and the businessman himself is in a prolonged conflict with Mexican tax authorities.

Despite this, Salinas demonstrates confidence in his strategy and even plans to take Elektra private. “Now I’m free to do my thing,” he declared, emphasizing that his businesses remain solid despite political headwinds.

“In a certain sense, such a sharp reorientation toward Bitcoin can also be viewed as a defensive maneuver,” notes Maria Sorenson, an expert on financial markets. “In conditions of instability, both within his own business empire and in the global economy, Salinas is seeking assets that are not subject to the traditional financial system and government regulation.”

This is not the first time Salinas has publicly spoken in support of Bitcoin. Back in 2021, he called fiat currencies a “fraud,” demonstrating his distrust of the traditional monetary system, which is subject to inflation and political influence.

Part of a Global Trend Among Ultra-Wealthy Investors

Salinas’s strategy firmly puts him among the world’s most high-profile champions of corporate Bitcoin—betting both his fortune and his reputation on the belief in Bitcoin’s survival and thriving over the next ten years.

The Mexican billionaire’s approach echoes the investment philosophy of Michael Saylor, founder of MicroStrategy, who has transformed his company into a kind of Bitcoin trust, accumulating significant reserves of the first cryptocurrency.

“We are observing the formation of a new class of ultra-wealthy investors who are no longer just diversifying their portfolio by adding a small share of cryptocurrencies, but are making them their main bet,” comments Stanley Warren, director of a wealth management consulting company. “These are people who, first, can afford high risk, and second, have access to the best analytical resources and understanding of technological trends.”

It is particularly noteworthy that investors like Salinas are not just buying Bitcoin but actively promoting it, creating a kind of self-reinforcing effect—the more influential people talk about the value of Bitcoin, the more trust in it develops among broader circles of investors.

At press time, Bitcoin is trading at $93,760.32, down by 0.29% over the last day, as per Kraken’s price feed. Despite short-term fluctuations, Bitcoin’s long-term growth trajectory remains impressive, confirming Salinas’s thesis about this asset’s prospects.

Statements from influential investors such as Ricardo Salinas contribute to the ongoing institutionalization of Bitcoin, which is increasingly perceived not as an exotic digital experiment but as a full-fledged asset class deserving a place in a diversified investment portfolio.

Recent News