When you’re the richest man in the world, you need your own museum to house the extensive art collection you’ve garnered throughout the years. Carlos Slim named his museum in Mexico City after his late wife and gave his son-in-law the go-ahead to design the museum’s new building.
Museo Soumaya‘s new location cost $70 million to build and includes a 350-seat auditorium, a public library, a rooftop garden, a cafeteria and, of course, a gift shop.
Slim has over 70,000 works in his private collection, worth upwards of $750 million, but even in the new building, not all of the pieces can be up on display at one time.
The Mexican billionaire is said to have the largest collection of Rodin statues outside of France, which can be viewed throughout the museum as well as lounging on the rooftop. Slim also has a soft spot for fellow compadre Diego Rivera.
The museum is free to the public and if you’re Shakira or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, you can get a private tour from Slim himself. Check out the rest of the museums listed in our Mexico City guide.
