Ricardo Salinas Pliego: Bitcoin “Should Be Part Of Every Investor’s Portfolio”

Mexico’s third wealthiest billionaire according to Forbes is a Bitcoin fan. Ricardo Salinas Pliego sure did his homework, and he’s here to make you see the light. The billionaire recently announced that he holds 10% of his portfolio in Bitcoin. Why? Salinas Pliego knows a few of the reasons that make BTC the soundest money that the world has ever seen.

The subtitled video arrives via podcaster Anthony Pompliano, who says, “Incredible to see this from @RicardoBSalinas given his historic wealth and success.”

If you can speak Spanish and have eight minutes to spare, the original video comes from José Pimpo’s YouTube channel.

Related Reading | The Wall between US and Mexico May Work out Well for Bitcoin

The Reason Bitcoin Should Be Part Of Your Portfolio

According to Michael Saylor, you have to invest at least 100 hours studying Bitcoin before you start to get it. His Mexican counterpart here, Salinas Pliego, evidently put in the time. About Bitcoin, he says:

“I’ve invested a lot of time studying it, and I think that it’s an asset that should be part of every investor’s portfolio. It’s a valuable asset, with international value, that’s traded with enormous liquidity at a global level. And that’s reason enough for it to be part of any portfolio. Period.”

Those are important reasons, but not something that can’t be said about the Dollar. The US’s currency holds international value and you can exchange it with ease for local money in any market. However…

What Does Salinas PliegoThink About Fiat Currencies?

The facts are the facts, money printing and inflation devalue the purchasing power of all the holders. There are no two ways about that. Or, as Salinas Pliego puts it:

“Fiat is a fraud. I started my professional career in ‘81. The Peso was at 20 x 1 (USD.) Today, we are at 20.000 x 1. That’s all there’s to know. And that’s here in Mexico, because if we look at Venezuela, Argentina, or Zimbawe, the numbers loose all proportion. The fraud of fiat is something inherent to the fiat system, and we’re watching it happen in the USA. The monetary emission went to the moon, you understand. The Dollar as hard money is a joke.”

It’s worth noting that in 1993, Mexico phased out the Peso (MXP) and introduced the Nuevo Peso (MXN, “New Peso”.) One MXN is worth one thousand MXP. So, Salinas Pliego’s numbers are correct. 

Also, notice the casual mention of the “went to the moon” meme. This man clearly studies the crypto sphere.

Why Is Ethereum Not A Valid Store Of Value?

Sorry, Vitalik fans. Ethereum has many qualities, but being a store of value isn’t one. Salinas Pliego puts it in simple words:

“Bitcoin’s finite supply, the 21 million, that’s the key of the whole thing. That’s what I was saying about Ethereum. As long as they don’t have a finite supply, I don’t believe them at all. For all I know, they emit more and your asset depreciates.”

And yes, when the EIP 1559 proposal comes into effect, Ethereum will burn some ETH after every transaction. Still, the daily issuance will be much higher than the daily burns. And there’ll not be a hard cap.

Related Reading | Bitreserve adds Bitpeso and Bitrupee to Support 8 Currencies

Who Is Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Anyway?

For a quick profile, we’ll pass the mic to Forbes:

• Ricardo Salinas Pliego runs the number two Mexican TV broadcaster, TV Azteca, and retailer Grupo Elektra.

• His Grupo Elektra targets lower middle class consumers who borrow money from his banking arm, Banco Azteca, to buy items at Elektra stores.

• Elektra, which is publicly traded, was founded in the 1950s by Ricardo’s grandfather, Hugo Salinas Rocha.

• Salinas appointed a new CEO to TV Azteca in January 2021, replacing his son, Benjamin Salinas Sada, who he’d appointed in 2015.

Among the world’s billionaires, Salinas Pliego is currently at #166 according to the same magazine.

BTC price chart on Bittrex | Source: BTC/USD on TradingView.com