Ricardo Salinas Pliego, boasting a net worth of about $5 billion, is a staunch advocate for bitcoin, even encouraging his wife to leverage their home for investment in the cryptocurrency.
By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Aoyon AshrafUpdated Jun 17, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Published Jun 17, 2026, 2:00 p.m. 3 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShow- Ricardo Salinas, a Mexican billionaire, has dedicated approximately 70% of his investment holdings to bitcoin, claiming that fiat currencies will inevitably depreciate.
- He even encouraged his wife to mortgage their home to invest in bitcoin and suggests others consider converting part of their home equity into bitcoin, highlighting the cryptocurrency's superior performance compared to real estate since 2016.
- Salinas, whose family has a long history in gold, perceives bitcoin as a scarce asset similar to gold, predicting its potential to reach $1 million, although he is uncertain about the timeline.
Ricardo Salinas Pliego, a prominent Mexican billionaire with an estimated wealth of around $5 billion, is a fervent supporter of bitcoin.
Salinas has allocated a significant portion of his investment portfolio—70%—to bitcoin, as he believes that traditional fiat currencies will gradually lose their purchasing power. This allocation is notably high compared to typical investment recommendations, which often advise against heavy exposure to volatile assets.
As the head of Grupo Elektra, one of Mexico’s major business conglomerates involved in various sectors including retail and banking, Salinas is so committed to bitcoin that he once advised his wife to mortgage their home to increase their bitcoin holdings, and she followed his advice.
“I understand this is a debatable issue, but I persuaded my wife to take a loan against her home to purchase bitcoin,” Salinas said in an interview with CoinDesk.
He advocates that others should also think about using some of their home equity to invest in bitcoin.
“For most individuals, their home equity represents their most substantial investment. Explore ways to convert that into some level of bitcoin exposure,” he stated. “This way, you can benefit from both the appreciation of your home and bitcoin.”
Salinas cites the long-term price growth of bitcoin compared to real estate as justification for his stance. For instance, in January 2016, bitcoin's value was around $400, while an average home in Central London sold for about $1.6 million or 4,000 bitcoin. Today, that same purchase would require less than 30 bitcoin, given that home prices have remained relatively stable over the last decade.
For Salinas, this comparison underscores his belief that bitcoin is a superior long-term investment compared to traditional assets like real estate.
"It's an asymmetric opportunity for growth," he explained. “As awareness of bitcoin increases, so will the demand for it.”
The 'Fiat Fraud'
Salinas, who has also emerged as a prospective candidate for the Mexican presidency in 2030, attributes his skepticism towards fiat currency to events predating the existence of digital currencies, notably the end of the gold standard initiated by President Richard Nixon.
“At my family's dinner table, discussions about gold were common,” Salinas recounted, mentioning how "the infamous fiat fraud by Nixon in the mid-1970s was a significant topic for us.”
He reminisces about his father and grandfather engaging fervently in conversations about gold's rising value due to rampant money printing by governments, particularly in the United States.
Gold's performance over the years has reinforced these beliefs. For instance, in July 1976, gold was priced at around $125 per ounce, whereas today it exceeds $4,500. Its purchasing power has grown by nearly 500%, while the U.S. dollar now holds only about 15% of its value from 1976.
The Salinas family was not just passive observers; they have long been engaged in the gold and silver mining industry, which would have been affected by the end of the gold standard. These family discussions ingrained in Salinas a fundamental truth: scarce assets maintain their value, while fiat currencies diminish over time.
He views bitcoin as a contemporary manifestation of the same principles of scarcity that initially drew his family to gold.
Despite bitcoin's notorious volatility, Salinas firmly believes it presents one of the most promising investment opportunities, though he hesitates to make short-term price forecasts for the cryptocurrency. However, when asked about optimistic projections from other bitcoin advocates like Cathie Wood and Michael Saylor, who envision bitcoin reaching a million dollars, Salinas conceded, “So it will be a million dollars. I just don't know when.”
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CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High
CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High
In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high.
By CoinDesk ResearchJun 15, 2026In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high.
Why it matters:
In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high.
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