Enrique Peña Nieto

His first marriage was to Mónica Pretelini in 1993. The couple had three children. His wife died in 2007 as the result of an epileptic episode. Following his wife’s death he revealed that he had fathered two children with other women while still married.

He dated the Televisa soap opera actress Angélica Rivera for a few years before marrying her in 2011.

Enrique Peña Nieto was born on 20 July 1966 in Atlacomulco, State of Mexico into an upper middle class family as one of the four children of Gilberto Enrique Peña del Mazo and María del Perpetuo Socorro Ofelia Nieto Sánchez. His father was an electrical engineer while his mother was a school teacher.

He became interested in politics as a young boy as his father’s friend, Jorge Jiménez Cantú, was a prominent politician. His father’s cousin, Alfredo del Mazo González, was also involved in politics and the proximity to these two men instilled a love for politics in the young boy.

He joined the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 1984. Over the ensuing years he juggled his political aspirations with his legal studies and earned his law degree in 1989 from Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. He received an M.B.A. from Monterrey Technological Institute in 1991.

During the 1990s he formally started his political career by becoming the Secretary of the Citizen Movement of Zone I of the State Directive Committee of the National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), one of the three sectors of the PRI.

From 1993 to 1998, he was the chief of staff for the secretary of economic development of the State of Mexico and the personal secretary of Montiel Rojas, who was the secretary of economic development in the state.

His political stature grew steadily over the years and he went on to hold high positions such as the secretary of administration (2000–02) and state congressman (2003–04). His thriving political career made him more ambitious and he announced his decision to run for the post of the Governor of the State of Mexico.

His campaign was successful and he was sworn in as the governor on 15 September 2005. As a part of his campaign, he had signed 608 promises in front of a notary to convince voters that he would deliver results. His administration was able to deliver only 10 of the promises in its first year which disappointed the citizens.

Peña Nieto was, however, quick to bounce back following one lackluster year and intensified his commitment towards the promised goals. By 2006, his administration had carried out 141 projects, which included building highways, establishing hospitals, improving infrastructural facilities, and creating adequate water systems to provide fresh water throughout the state.

During his tenure, the Pacto por México was signed by the leaders of the three main political parties in Chapultepec Castle in December 2012. The cross party alliance that called for the accomplishment of 95 goals was appreciated by international experts for effectively passing institutional reforms in the sectors of legislation, education, banking, and telecommunications.

The auto manufacturing industry expanded rapidly under Nieto's presidency. The president collaborated with Kia Motors in 2014 and announced plans for Kia to build a US$1 billion factory in Nuevo León. Several other prominent automobile companies like Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Audi were already building major plants in the country in the mid 2010s.