Enrique Peña Nieto: Former Mexican President — Family & Net Worth

Who Is Enrique Peña Nieto?

Enrique Peña Nieto — widely known by his initials EPN — is a Mexican politician who served as the 64th president of Mexico from December 1, 2012, to November 30, 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he brought the party back to the presidency after a 12-year absence.

Before reaching Los Pinos (Mexico’s presidential residence at the time), Peña Nieto served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011. His presidency was defined by ambitious structural reforms in energy, education, and telecommunications — but also by deep controversies, including the disappearance of 43 students in Ayotzinapa, the “Casa Blanca” real estate scandal, and mounting corruption allegations that followed him out of office.

Since leaving the presidency in December 2018, EPN has been living primarily in Madrid, Spain, while Mexican authorities have reportedly pursued investigations into his administration’s finances.

Early Life and Education

Enrique Peña Nieto was born on July 20, 1966, in Atlacomulco, a small city about 50 miles northwest of Mexico City in the State of Mexico. Politics ran in his blood: his father had connections to local government, and two of his uncles served as governors of the State of Mexico. Atlacomulco itself is known in Mexican politics as the cradle of the so-called “Atlacomulco Group,” a network of PRI politicians who’ve dominated state politics for decades.

He earned a law degree from Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City, followed by a Master’s in Business Administration from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). Peña Nieto joined the PRI in 1984 at age 18 and steadily worked his way through party ranks throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.

Political Career Before the Presidency

Peña Nieto held several administrative and party positions in the State of Mexico during the 1990s, building a strong base within the PRI’s state machinery. His big break came in 2005 when he won the gubernatorial race for the State of Mexico — the country’s most populous state with over 15 million residents at the time.

As governor from 2005 to 2011, he invested heavily in public infrastructure and social programs. He also became one of Mexico’s most media-savvy politicians, carefully cultivating a polished public image. By the time he launched his presidential campaign, he was already one of the country’s most recognized political figures.

In the July 2012 presidential election, Peña Nieto defeated leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador (PRD) and Josefina Vázquez Mota (PAN) with 38.21% of the vote. His victory marked the PRI’s return to the presidency after the party lost power in 2000 for the first time in 71 years.

Presidency (2012–2018)

Peña Nieto’s six-year term began with unusual momentum. Within his first two years, he secured passage of what became known as the “Pact for Mexico” — a cross-party agreement that produced 11 structural reforms across education, energy, telecommunications, fiscal policy, and the criminal justice system.

Key Reforms

• Energy Reform (2013): Ended Pemex’s 75-year state monopoly on oil and gas, opening Mexico’s energy sector to private and foreign investment for the first time since nationalization in 1938.
• Education Reform (2013): Introduced standardized teacher evaluations and merit-based hiring, which triggered fierce opposition from the powerful SNTE and CNTE teachers’ unions.
• Telecommunications Reform (2013): Created new regulatory bodies and forced competition in a market long dominated by Carlos Slim’s América Móvil.
• Fiscal Reform (2013): Raised taxes and expanded the tax base to reduce Mexico’s dependence on oil revenue.

On the international front, Peña Nieto navigated a complicated relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office in January 2017. Trump’s insistence that Mexico would pay for a border wall created serious diplomatic friction, and a planned state visit was canceled in January 2017.

By the end of his term, Peña Nieto’s approval rating had fallen below 25% — among the lowest for any modern Mexican president — weighed down by rising violence, economic stagnation, and a series of corruption scandals.

Personal Life and Family

Peña Nieto’s personal life has drawn significant public attention throughout his career.

He married his first wife, Mónica Pretelini, in 1993. Together they had three children: Paulina Peña Pretelini, Alejandro Peña Pretelini, and Nicole Peña Pretelini. Mónica died on January 11, 2007, from an epileptic seizure at age 45. Her death occurred while Peña Nieto was serving as governor.

In November 2010, Peña Nieto married Angélica Rivera, a well-known Mexican telenovela actress famous for her role in Destilando Amor. Their wedding at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Toluca was a major media event. The couple divorced in 2019, shortly after he left office.

Since 2019, EPN has been living in Spain, maintaining a low public profile. He’s been spotted in Madrid on multiple occasions, and reports suggest he also owns property there.

Controversies

Several major scandals marked Peña Nieto’s time in power:

Ayotzinapa Disappearances (2014)

On September 26, 2014, 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College in Guerrero state were forcibly taken by local police and handed over to a criminal gang. The students haven’t been found. The government’s initial investigation — which claimed the students were killed and incinerated at a garbage dump in Cocula — was widely rejected by independent experts and dubbed the “historical truth” by then-Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam. The case became an international symbol of impunity in Mexico and severely damaged Peña Nieto’s credibility.

Casa Blanca Scandal (2014)

In November 2014, investigative journalists revealed that Angélica Rivera had acquired a $7 million mansion in the exclusive Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood from Grupo Higa — a government contractor that had won lucrative infrastructure deals during Peña Nieto’s governorship and presidency. The conflict of interest was stark. An internal government review cleared Peña Nieto and Rivera of wrongdoing, but independent observers and the press widely dismissed that conclusion.

Corruption Investigations (Post-2018)

After leaving office, Peña Nieto faced escalating scrutiny. Former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya, arrested in Spain in 2020, alleged in court testimony that Peña Nieto and his finance minister Luis Videgaray directed millions in bribes from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht to fund the PRI’s 2012 campaign and buy legislative votes for energy reform. In 2023 and 2024, Mexican prosecutors reportedly advanced investigations into Peña Nieto’s finances, though no formal charges had been filed as of early 2025.

Enrique Peña Nieto Net Worth

Enrique Peña Nieto’s net worth is estimated at approximately $20 million. This figure accounts for his decades-long political career, including salaries from his time as governor of the State of Mexico (2005–2011) and president (2012–2018). Mexican presidents earn a substantial salary plus benefits, and Peña Nieto also comes from a family with established business interests in the State of Mexico.

It’s worth noting that his actual wealth has been a subject of debate, particularly given the corruption allegations surrounding his administration. Critics have questioned whether his assets align with his official income, though nothing has been proven in court.

Frequently Asked Questions

What political party does Enrique Peña Nieto belong to?

EPN is a lifelong member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which he joined in 1984. The PRI dominated Mexican politics for most of the 20th century, holding the presidency uninterrupted from 1929 to 2000.

Who was Enrique Peña Nieto’s first wife?

His first wife was Mónica Pretelini. They married in 1993 and had three children — Paulina, Alejandro, and Nicole. Mónica died in January 2007 from an epileptic seizure.

Where is Enrique Peña Nieto now?

Since leaving the Mexican presidency in December 2018, Peña Nieto has been living primarily in Madrid, Spain. He maintains a low public profile and has rarely made public statements about Mexican politics.

What happened in the Ayotzinapa case under Peña Nieto?

On September 26, 2014, 43 student teachers from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College disappeared after being detained by local police in Iguala, Guerrero. The case exposed deep ties between local government, police, and organized crime. The students have never been found, and the government’s investigation was widely criticized as a cover-up.

How tall is Enrique Peña Nieto?

Enrique Peña Nieto stands at 170 cm, which is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall.

Related Profiles

• Alejandro Peña Pretelini — Son of EPN and Mónica Pretelini
• Mónica Pretelini — EPN’s first wife (1993–2007)
• Nicole Peña Pretelini — Daughter of EPN and Mónica Pretelini
• Paulina Peña Pretelini — Daughter of EPN and Mónica Pretelini