Billionaire Carlos Slim pledged Thursday to donate 250,000 low-cost laptops to children by the end of the year and as many as 1 million in 2008, saying "digital education" holds the key for Mexico's poor.

"The best investment one can make is to reduce poverty," he said, noting that wealthier citizens are better consumers.

Slim said he wants to focus on building specialized preschools, handing out computers and supporting health care.

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