World's Richest Man: 3-Day Workweek 'Will Happen'

Downside? Push retirement age to 75, says Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 9, 2014 9:11 AM CDT
World's Richest Man: 3-Day Work Week 'Will Happen'
Honoree Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim attends the Friars Foundation Gala at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Oct. 7, 2014, in New York.   (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

He's said it once and he's saying it again: Carlos Slim envisions a world where we work just three days a week and have more time for the things we enjoy. But this isn't some pipe dream. "I am sure it will happen," the Mexican billionaire tells CNN Money. Slim doesn't offer details on when you can look forward to four days off per week, but he does seem confident a three-day workweek of 11-hour shifts is the way to go, though to him that means pushing the retirement age to 75. "You should have more time for you during all of your life—not when you're 65 and retired," says Slim, 74. "It's a society of knowledge and experience. You have better experience and knowledge when you are 60, 65, and 70."

Not only would a three-day workweek benefit the economy, it would help young workers get a foot in the door, says Slim, whose $83 billion fortune recently nabbed him the title of world's richest man from previous top dog Bill Gates. Slim isn't saying whether salaries should rise or fall if workers find themselves with four days of free time, but he thinks that while we slack off, "machines should work 24 hours and services should work as much as possible." Meanwhile, Mr. Moneybags, who maintains that employment is the best way to get people out of poverty, helped launch an effort this week to add another segment of the population to the workforce, reports Bloomberg: He's pledging to hire disabled workers and is encouraging others to do the same, noting, "We think that it’s very important for society to have these people integrated to economic activity." (Click to read about what one columnist thinks is the "perfect" job perk.)

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