WILLIAM JENKINS: EL GRINGO MÁS ODIADO DE MÉXICO — Y CÓMO SE VOLVIÓ EL MÁS PODEROSO DEL PAÍS

WILLIAM JENKINS: MEXICO'S MOST HATED GRINGO — AND HOW HE BECAME THE COUNTRY'S MOST POWERFUL MAN He arrived in Mexico in 1901 with 13,000 pesos in his pocket and a promise to make to his wife's family. In less than 20 years, he became the richest man in the state of Puebla. He faked his own kidnapping and nearly provoked a U.S. military invasion. He bought 11 sugar plantations using unpayable debts and gunmen. He financed the political careers of three brothers who changed the course of the country's history with illegal loans. He monopolized 80 percent of Mexico's movie theaters. He took control of the bank that the world now knows as Bancomer. Lázaro Cárdenas tried to destroy him. Six different presidents couldn't touch him. And when he died at 85 in his bed in Puebla, he stipulated in his will that his five children would not receive a single peso of his inheritance. This is the story of Mexico's most hated gringo—and the corrupt system that made him untouchable for over four decades. EDUCATIONAL AND HISTORICAL CONTENT This documentary presents information based on: Paxman, Andrew — In Search of Mr. Jenkins. Money, Power, and Gringophobia in Mexico (Debate, 2016) Gutiérrez Ibarra, Celia — How Mexico Lost William Jenkins (Reviewing the Jenkins Case: Confronting the Myth) BBC Mundo — The Forgotten Story of William Jenkins, the Gringo Most Hated by Mexicans (December 2016) Americas Quarterly — How a Tennessee Farm Boy Cashed In on the Mexican Revolution (October 2017) Spanish Wikipedia — William O. Jenkins Newspaper and Newspaper Sources: El Universal, Puebla newspapers (October-January 1919-1920), Time magazine (profile 1952) CONTENT NOTICE This video analyzes the concentration of economic and political power in Mexico during the twentieth century. It describes business and political practices that operated within the system of its time. It does not include graphic images or sensationalist content. This content is not intended to defame individuals, families, or institutions. The individuals mentioned are treated as historical figures based on documented facts. Historical complexity is respected: no moral judgments are made about past individuals using present-day values. 💬 Did you know the story of William Jenkins and his empire in Mexico? Share in the comments. 👍 If you appreciate this historical research, please like it. 🔔 Subscribe for more documentaries about power structures in the history of Mexico and Latin America. #HistoryOfMexico #WilliamJenkins #Caciquismo #HistoricalDocumentary