Amancio Ortega
Born 1936 · Age 90
Spanish billionaire businessman; founder and former chairman of Inditex, the parent company of Zara. Pioneer of fast fashion and major real-estate investor through Pontegadea. Founder of the Amancio Ortega Foundation.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Busdongo de Arbas, Spain
Amancio Ortega Gaona born to Antonio Ortega Rodríguez and Josefa Gaona Hernández.
Started working in garment trade (delivery boy / assistant)
Began work as a delivery boy for a men's shirt store and assistant in a tailor's shop in A Coruña; early exposure to manufacturing and delivery costs.
Left school and moved to A Coruña; shop hand at Gala
Left formal education and took a job at Gala shirtmaker, learning to make clothes by hand.
Founded Confecciones Goa (quilted bathrobes)
Started Confecciones GOA to produce quilted bathrobes and lingerie; early manufacturing business that preceded Zara.
Married Rosalía Mera
Married Rosalía Mera Goyenechea, who would later co-found Zara with him.
Opened first Zara store in A Coruña
Launched the first Zara ready-to-wear boutique with his wife; the origin of the Zara retail chain.
Established company headquarters and first garment factories
Set up Zara/production HQ and initial factories on outskirts of A Coruña to scale manufacturing.
Reached nine Zara stores across Spain
Domestic retail expansion milestone as Zara grew across Spanish shopping districts.
Opened first logistics centre
First central logistics hub outside A Coruña to manage distribution and accelerate inventory turnover.
Founded Inditex (Industria de Diseño Textil) and became President
Incorporated Inditex as the holding company for Zara and related retail formats; Ortega was founding chairman/president (role held 1985–2011).
Divorced Rosalía Mera
Ortega and Rosalía Mera divorced (they had previously co-founded businesses together).
Opened first Zara store outside Spain (Portugal)
First international Zara boutique opened in Portugal, beginning global retail expansion.
Opened Zara in New York
Zara entered the US market with a New York store, marking a major international step.
Opened Zara in Paris
Further European expansion into a key fashion capital.
Launched Pull&Bear and acquired Massimo Dutti (initial stake)
Inditex diversified brand portfolio by launching Pull&Bear and acquiring Massimo Dutti.
Acquired remaining 35% of Massimo Dutti
Completed buyout of remaining minority stake, consolidating Inditex's brand portfolio.
Launched Bershka
Introduced Bershka, targeting younger female consumers; continued brand expansion.
Acquired Stradivarius
Acquisition of youth fashion chain Stradivarius as Inditex continued to expand.
First published photographs of Ortega appear
Until 1999 no photographs of Ortega had been published; public visibility increased thereafter.
Made first significant public appearance prior to IPO
Public appearance in 2000 ahead of Inditex's IPO made headlines in Spanish financial press.
Inditex IPO on Madrid Stock Exchange (valuation ~€9B)
Inditex listed publicly in 2001 at about €9 billion; Ortega sold part of his stake (reported >20%) and became Spain's wealthiest person.
Founded Pontegadea Inversiones and Amancio Ortega Foundation
Established the family investment vehicle Pontegadea (real estate arm Pontegadea Inmobiliaria) and the Amancio Ortega Foundation (philanthropy: education, social welfare).
Launched Zara Home
Expanded Inditex into home furnishings with launch of Zara Home as a new business line.
Inditex becomes world's largest fashion retailer (~4,000 stores)
By 2008 Inditex controlled roughly 4,000 stores across ~70 countries; major company milestone.
Held ~59.29% of Inditex; group had >6,000 stores and >92,000 employees
Reported major ownership stake of 59.29% in Inditex; group scale exceeded 6,000 stores and c.92,000 employees in some company reports.
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
Official state honour (Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil) in Spain.
Announced retirement as Inditex chairman; Pablo Isla to succeed
Stepped down from day-to-day role and handed chairmanship/leadership to Pablo Isla while retaining majority stake.
Donated €20 million to Cáritas
Amancio Ortega Foundation donated about €20M to Caritas Internationalis in October 2012, the largest single donation in the NGO's history.
Death of ex-wife Rosalía Mera
Rosalía Mera, co-founder with Ortega and mother of two of his children, died in August 2013 at age 69.
Owned luxury assets (yachts 'Drizzle' and 'Valoria B' and Gulfstream G650)
Reported ownership of two yachts and a Gulfstream G650 private jet (used as part of high-net-worth lifestyle and transport assets).
Briefly World's Richest Person; net worth peaked (~$80B)
During a peak in Inditex stock, Ortega briefly surpassed Bill Gates; peak net worth reported around $80B.
Donated €17 million to hospitals in Galicia and Andalusia
Part of ongoing philanthropic contributions by the Amancio Ortega Foundation supporting healthcare technology and treatment.
Foundation scholarships awarded to 500 students (2016/17 academic year)
The Amancio Ortega Foundation scholarship program sent 500 students (250 to Canada, 250 to the U.S.) for Baccalaureate studies in 2016/17.
Donated €320 million to Spanish public healthcare for cancer
Largest donation by his foundation to date (€320M) to buy cancer detection and treatment equipment across Spain.
Received AEF Philanthropic Initiative Award
Awarded by the Spanish Association of Foundations for philanthropic initiatives (AEF Awards 2017).
Pontegadea acquires multiple international properties (Troy Block / Amazon HQ block)
Pontegadea expanded US/ international real estate holdings, including the Troy Block complex in Seattle (reported buy of Amazon HQ block) and other purchases.
Completed $72.5M purchase of downtown Chicago hotel
Pontegadea completed a $72.5M deal for a downtown Chicago hotel as part of global real estate expansion.
Pontegadea purchased 5% of Enagás for €281.64M
December 2019 acquisition of a 5% stake in Spanish energy company Enagás for €281.64M via Pontegadea.
Reported loss of ~$10B due to COVID-19 market impact
Media reported Ortega lost roughly $10 billion in net worth as a result of pandemic-related market declines.
Pontegadea real estate holdings reported at $17.2B
Bloomberg report revealed Pontegadea real estate assets worth approximately $17.2 billion.
Reported net worth ~€73.1B (2021 estimate)
Various reports (e.g., Forbes Spain) estimated Ortega's fortune around €73.1 billion in 2021.
Pontegadea buys 5% of Red Eléctrica (and 12% of REN)
In July 2021 Pontegadea acquired 5% of Red Eléctrica and also took a 12% stake in Portugal's REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais).
Forbes lists Ortega net worth at $103B (2024)
Forbes reported Ortega's net worth at about $103 billion in 2024.
Created €100M fund to help DANA-affected populations in Valencia
In November 2024 Ortega established a €100 million fund to mitigate impact of severe weather (DANA) on victims in Valencia.
Net worth reported at $107B (May 2025)
Bloomberg reported Ortega's net worth at $107 billion in May 2025, making him the second-wealthiest person in Europe.
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