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Jorge Hank RhonMexican politician and businessman
Date of Birth: 28.01.1956
Country:  Mexico |
Content:
- Biography of Jorge Hank Rhon
- Early Life and Education
- Business Ventures
- Contributions as Mayor
- Philanthropy and Controversies
- Political Career and Controversies
- Legal Troubles
Biography of Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon is an American politician and businessman. He is a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) and the owner of the largest sports betting company, 'Caliente', in Mexico. Known for his eccentric and contradictory personality, Hank Rhon served as the mayor of Tijuana from December 2004 to February 2007.
Early Life and Education
Jorge Hank Rhon was born on January 28, 1956, in Toluca, Estado de México. He is the son of former Mexico City mayor Carlos Hank González and Guadalupe Rhon. He studied at the Alexander Von Humboldt German College, a school founded in the 19th century for children of German immigrants in Mexico. He later pursued industrial engineering at the Universidad Anáhuac in Estado de México.
Business Ventures
In 1980, Hank Rhon founded 'Grupo Taos', a company that manages pet stores and amusement parks. He served as the chairman and CEO of the company. In 1985, he relocated to Tijuana to manage the 'Agua Caliente Racetrack' and established 'Grupo Caliente'. This company is involved in organizing dog races and operates a hotel, shopping center, and entertainment centers in 19 states in Mexico, as well as 13 countries in Central America, South America, and Europe. Under his management, the racetrack's workforce grew from 700 to nearly 6000 employees.
Contributions as Mayor
During his tenure as mayor of Tijuana, Hank Rhon hosted various events, including the 'Señorita México' beauty pageant, a boxing match between Julio César Chávez and Danilo Cabrera for the world title, and the 'Caribe International Classic Horserace' from 1986 to 1988, which is considered the most important horse race in Latin America. The racetrack also hosted numerous celebrations such as the Day of the Three Wise Men, Children's Day, and Mother's Day, where thousands of children and their mothers received free meals, gifts, and enjoyed entertainment shows.
Philanthropy and Controversies
Hank Rhon founded the 'Cuauhtémoc Hank Foundation', which provides scholarships to students, including education in foreign schools. He is known for his love of animals and is involved in the animal trade. However, there have been reports that many of his animals, housed in his private zoo, were smuggled into Mexico.
In 1991, he was directly linked to a failed illegal deal to purchase endangered gorillas, although no official charges were ever brought against him. He has also gained notoriety for his controversial statements, such as claiming that his favorite animal is a woman.
Political Career and Controversies
Hank Rhon won the mayoral elections in Tijuana in 2004, ending the 15-year rule of the National Action Party (Partido Acción Nacional). He overcame the shortcomings of his political platform with his charisma, lavish lifestyle, generosity, and philanthropy, which gained him support from wide segments of the population.
In 2007, he ran for governor of Baja California but was unsuccessful. Both Jorge Hank Rhon and his late father, Carlos Hank González, have often been discussed in the press regarding their alleged close ties to Mexican drug cartels, although no official charges have been filed against them.
Legal Troubles
In June 2011, approximately 100 Mexican soldiers raided Hank Rhon's estate in search of drugs and weapons. They seized an arsenal of 40 rifles, 48 pistols, and 9000 rounds of ammunition. Hank Rhon was arrested but released after 10 days in prison when a federal judge ruled that the raid was conducted without a proper arrest warrant. All charges against him were dropped. Two of the seized pistols were linked to two murders committed in 2009 and 2010.
