- Salinas increases Bitcoin allocation to 70%, up from 10% in 2020, highlighting trust in crypto.
- Despite legal challenges, Salinas plans to make Banco Azteca Mexico’s first Bitcoin bank.
- Salinas’ portfolio includes 30% in gold, avoiding bonds and external stocks.
Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas, with an estimated net worth of $5.8 billion now holds 70% of his liquid portfolio in Bitcoin investments and related assets. The executive revealed his investment changes in an interview conducted on March 4th, 2025.
This adjustment highlights his trust in cryptocurrency as a reliable store of value amid economic challenges. His portfolio also consists of 30% in gold and gold mining shares, while he steers clear of bonds and stocks outside his own companies. By adopting this unconventional investment approach, Salinas positions himself outside conventional investor strategies.
According to Salinas, during the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami, his Bitcoin investments expanded rapidly from 10% in 2020 to over 60% in 2022. His most recent financial step demonstrates an ongoing increase in his investment focus on cryptocurrency. Salinas leads Grupo Salinas in focusing its business operations on telecommunications, retail and financial services.
Bitcoin Support Meets Regulatory Obstacles
The Mexican governor has embraced Bitcoin through repeated support because he considers it comparable to digital gold that protects from inflation. The advocate has spread his insights regarding cryptocurrency across social media and endorses “The Bitcoin Standard” by Saifedean Ammous as a way to demonstrate its defensive abilities against currency devaluation.
In 2021, he revealed plans to integrate the cryptocurrency into Banco Azteca aiming to make it Mexico’s first bank to accept the cryptocurrency. Mexican financial regulators, however, issued warnings about virtual assets, halting his initiative.
Undeterred, Salinas encourages a long-term investment approach. He suggests dollar-cost averaging—purchasing fixed amounts monthly—to mitigate Bitcoin’s price volatility. “It’s not going anywhere except up,” he told Bloomberg, reinforcing his belief in its future growth. This comes as Bitcoin trades at $83,740, despite a 7% decline on March 4, 2025, triggered by new U.S. tariffs on Mexico and Canada, according to CoinGecko data.
Business Moves Amid Tax and Market Struggles
Salinas’ deeper cryptocurrency investment aligns with his decision to delist Grupo Elektra, his flagship firm, from public markets. This step seeks to resolve ongoing tax disputes with the Mexican government and simplify operations. Legal challenges and a 70% plunge in Grupo Elektra’s share price last year shaved nearly $5 billion from his wealth. Still, Salinas remains optimistic, stating, “Our businesses are doing well,” reflecting confidence in his broader strategy.
His focus on Bitcoin and gold signals a deliberate hedge against fiat currency risks, a concern in Latin American economies like Venezuela and Argentina. As global cryptocurrency adoption rises—seen in companies like Strategy amassing over 499,000 BTC—Salinas emerges as a leading billionaire investor in cryptocurrency outside the crypto sector.
