Heir to a family fortune that he multiplied with the support of public resources that he now claims not to have received, he is famous for being unscrupulous when it comes to doing business by stepping on others. He has also begun a campaign against Morena and President Sheinbaum, whose narrative shows he has more guts than guts.
His fortune is tied to neoliberal governments that, in addition to public television concessions and other businesses, waived his tax payments each year, facilitating the growth of his legalized usury retail business known as Elektra.
Grupo Salinas’s tax debt with the SAT is a conflict that dates back to 2008 and has lasted more than 16 years. The debt figure has fluctuated in reports, reflecting its growth due to the accumulation of surcharges and inflation over time. Initially, there was talk of an omission of 38 billion pesos, which, with surcharges, amounted to more than 53 billion. In March 2024, the federal government reported that the total debt was 63 billion pesos. More recently, the figure has climbed to 74 billion pesos, according to the Federal Tax Attorney’s Office. This discrepancy in the figures is due to the fact that the amount claimed includes the principal debt, as well as fines, interest, and accrued updates due to the lengthy delay in the courts.
Grupo Salinas has adopted a vigorous defense stance, both in the courts and in the public sphere. The company describes the charges as “abusive and illegal” and maintains that they constitute “double charges.” It has undertaken a delaying strategy, pursuing all possible legal remedies to prolong the trial. The case, which dates back to 2008, has been the subject of more than 29 lawsuits and various appeals.
The case of Ricardo Salinas Pliego stands as the clearest example of the breakdown of a historic “pact” between the Mexican government and large corporations, where political favors and tax breaks were part of the power dynamic. The current administration has made the fight against these privileges one of its main priorities, making Salinas Pliego the antagonist of this new political era. This confrontation, exposed through the publication of files and constant exchanges on social media, shows that the case is not limited to a courtroom, but is a fight for narrative, with the government seeking to legitimize its tax policies and Salinas Pliego defending his reputation and business model.
However, last week, he began a media mobilization that challenges the Mexican state and even positions himself as a possible presidential candidate in 2030, which does not seem like a good strategy for his business, as Elon Musk recently demonstrated.
His recent statements reveal an authoritarian, business-like outlook with no concern for the people, so the mere mass exposure of his anti-political rhetoric is a danger to a country where the people barely recognize his capacity in government.