Amancio Ortega Gaona

Early life

Amancio Ortega was born on March 28, 1936, in Busdongo de Arbas, Spain. He was the youngest of four children. His father was a railway worker, and his mother was a housekeeper. His family moved a lot during his childhood. They eventually settled in A Coruña when he was 14 years old.

Financial problems forced Ortega to drop out of school when he was 14. He started working as a shop hand at a local shirtmaker company called Gala. During his time there, he learned a lot about retail sales and customer preferences.

Career

Ortega became an entrepreneur in 1963. He founded Confecciones Goa, a company selling handmade bathrobes. He organized local sewing cooperatives to keep production fast and affordable. This strategy formed the foundation of his business philosophy. 

In 1975, Ortega and his wife Rosalia Mera opened the first Zara store in A Coruña. The store sold popular, affordable fashion. Ortega focused on shortening design and production timelines. Zara grew quickly in Spain throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. 

In 1985, Ortega founded Inditex as the holding company for Zara and other retail brands. The company grew internationally and acquired brands like Massimo Dutti, Bershka, and Pull&Bear. Inditex went public in 2001, making Ortega a prominent global figure. He retained a controlling stake of almost 60%.

In 2011, Ortega established the Amancio Ortega Foundation. He created the private non-profit organization to support educational programs and social welfare projects. The foundation has donated hundreds of millions of euros to public health programs. It has funded advanced cancer detection technology and proton therapy machines for public hospitals in Spain.

Ortega resigned from his position as chairman at Inditex in 2011. He changed his focus to his private investment company, Pontegadea. Through Pontegadea, he built a massive global real estate portfolio. He acquired landmark commercial properties in London, New York, Madrid, Seattle, and Chicago. He also bought significant stakes in large energy infrastructure companies.

Net Worth

According to Forbes, Amancio Ortega’s net worth is approximately $148.4 billion as of August 2026.

Achievement

Amancio Ortega has received various honors and awards throughout his career. Here are a few notable achievements and recognitions:

Co-founded Inditex and grew it into a global fashion empire with thousands of stores worldwide.

Pioneered the modern fast-fashion model by dramatically speeding up production and distribution timelines.

Named the wealthiest person in Spain and the world’s richest person in 2015.

Created the Amancio Ortega Foundation in 2001 to support education and fund major medical equipment donations.

Received the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit from the Spanish government in 2009.

Constructed a multi-billion-dollar global real estate and infrastructure portfolio through Pontegadea.