Carlos Ardila Lülle
Food and Beverage

Carlos Ardila Lülle Net Worth

Carlos Ardila Lülle is a Colombian entrepreneur who has built a fortune from selling soda pop and investing in bottling companies, sugar refineries, radio stations and television channels. He began his career working for his father-in-law's soda company, where he created an apple-flavored drink that became a top seller. In 1973, he bought his first radio station and built Radio Canal Nacional. When the Colombian government privatized television in 1998, he started RCN TV. In 2012, he partnered with Rupert Murdoch to create MundoFox, a Spanish-language channel targeted at U.S. Hispanics. He now owns several bottling companies, the largest sugar refinery in Colombia and Colombian soccer team Atletico Nacional.
Carlos Ardila Lülle is a member of Food and Beverage

Age, Biography and Wiki

Birth Day July 04, 1930
Birth Place Bogota, Colombia, Colombia
Age 92 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Leo
Residence Medellín, Colombia
Citizenship Colombian, Spanish
Alma mater National University of Colombia
Occupation Businessman
Known for Postobon soft drink

💰 Net worth: $2.3 Billion (2024)

Carlos Ardila Lülle, a prominent figure in the Colombian food and beverage industry, is projected to amass a net worth of $2.3 billion by 2024. Known for his influential role in revolutionizing the sector, Ardila Lülle has successfully established himself as a key player in the market. Through his strategic business ventures and dedication to quality, he has built a vast empire that spans various food and beverage brands in Colombia. As his wealth continues to soar, Ardila Lülle's impact on the industry and Colombian economy remains significant.

2013 $5.4 Billion
2014 $2.4 Billion
2015 $2 Billion
2016 $1.6 Billion
2017 $2.6 Billion
2018 $2.83 Billion

Biography/Timeline

1930

Carlos Ardila Lülle was born in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia on July 4, 1930. At fifteen he completed secondary education at the Jesuit run Colegio San Pedro Claver, and moved to Medellín to study civil engineering at the School of Mines at the National University of Colombia, graduating in 1951. He then began work in the soft drink Business as a Plant Manager for Gaseosas LUX, entrusted with production and expansion in the city of Cali. While working there he met his wife, Maria Eugenia Gaviria, a daughter of one of the owners of the company, Antonio Gaviria. With her he had two children, Carlos Julio and Antonio Jose. He also has two daughters, Maria Emma and Maria Eugenia.

1954

At Gaseosas LUX, he worked on the development and promotion of new flavors, and in 1954 saw great success in the development of a new soft drink flavored with apples. One of the first in the world with that flavor, it is now marketed as their flagship product, Postobon. Ardila later said he feels a special affection for this achievement as a contribution to the beverage industry. The commercial success with Gaseosas LUX allowed them to gradually acquire shares in the company Postobón, S.A., which made a popular drink, Kola Champaña. After uniting the two companies, Ardila then became President of Postobón, S.A. in 1968.

1972

At this stage he initiated the acquisition of other Colombian soft drink companies over the final decades of the twentieth century, bringing these similar companies under the same management at Postobón. After his commercial success with non-alcoholic beverage companies, he began investing in companies directly related to the raw materials of soda, such as the sugar industry, marking the beginning of his Organización Ardila Lülle (OAL). Ardila next moved into textiles and media, and in 1972 acquired the nationwide radio company Radio Cadena Nacional (RCN). He acquired the record company Sonolux in 1973, and in 1978, he added a television channel under the RCN platform called RCN TV. This would develop into a prominent premium channel in 1998, and branch off in 2008 with a news channel called Nuestra Tele Noticias 24 Horas (NTN24).

1978

In 1978, he also acquired textile company Coltejer, which has remained a leader in the textile sector in Antioquia. Majority control of Coltejer was later sold to Mexican Business group Kaltex South America S.A. in 2008. In 1994, he founded Leona Brewery, and in 1996 he bought the main Colombia soccer team, Atlético Nacional, making Leona Beer their main sponsor until he later sold the brewery to Bavaria. In 1998, devaluation of the Colombian Peso caused him to lose 38% of his net worth internationally.

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.