Carlos Ardila Lülle, symbol of entrepreneurship, work and humanity

Carlos Ardila Lülle was one of the most important businessmen in Colombia. Not only because of the amount of income that its more than 80 companies produced, but because of the jobs they generated and continue to generate. It is estimated that at the beginning of 2000 the Ardila Lülle Organization employed more than 40,000 people, something that the business world always recognized as one of its greatest merits.

Ardila Lülle was born in Bucaramanga, on July 4, 1930. Coming from a middle-class family, she did her university studies at the National University of Medellín, where she graduated as a civil engineer. Later he went to work at Gaseosas Lux, his father-in-law’s company. At the end of the 60s, he became the majority partner of the company and merged it with Postobón, after creating the first apple soda in the country. Since then, Ardila Lülle had a vertiginous growth in her income and her business base: in 1972 she entered the field of the media, with the acquisition of RCN RADIO; He entered the sports field in 1996, with the purchase of Atlético Nacional; also in the automotive world, directing one of the main dealerships in the country, Los Coches. According to Forbes magazine, his assets amounted to USD2.2 billion, and he became one of the 6 wealthiest people in Colombia.

However, much of Carlos Ardila’s success was due to his charisma and good treatment. Those who worked with him always highlighted his kindness and understanding. Last Sunday, Juan Gossaín wrote a note for El Tiempo about his relationship with the businessman. In it, he highlighted that in the 30 years that he worked at RCN his freedom of expression was always respected, and he even says that Ardila Lülle categorically rejected any request that implied restricting the editorial freedom of the RCN team.