Amancio Ortega
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Early Life and Background
Amancio Ortega is a Spanish billionaire businessman, born on March 28, 1936, in Busdongo de Arbás, León, Spain. He was raised in a modest household with three older siblings. His parents were Antonio Ortega Rodríguez, a railroad worker, and Josefa Gaona Hernández. Due to his father's job, the family relocated to A Coruña when Amancio was 14 years old. Around this time, Ortega left formal education and began working for a local shirtmaker, Gala. There, he learned how to make clothes by hand, a foundational experience that would shape his future in the fashion industry.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 28 Mar, 1936
- Age
- 84 yrs
- Occupations
- Entrepreneur
Show all facts
- Citizenship
- Spain
- Birth Place
- A Coruña
- residence
- A Coruña
- Gender
- Male
- Description
- Spanish business tycoon
- Spouse
- Rosalía Mera[1966-1986]
- Net Worth 2021
- 80.3 billion
Career and Business Ventures
In 1972, Ortega launched his first business, Confecciones Goa, which specialized in producing quilted bathrobes. Building upon this success, he co-founded the first Zara store in 1975 with his then-wife, Rosalía Mera. Zara's innovative approach to fast fashion helped it stand out in the retail landscape and laid the groundwork for what would become one of the world’s most successful fashion empires.
Ortega’s most prominent business achievement came through his involvement with the Inditex Group, the parent company of Zara. As of 2009, Ortega held a controlling stake in Inditex, owning approximately 59.29% of the company. Under his leadership, Inditex expanded globally, operating several fashion brands and thousands of retail stores worldwide. In 2011, Ortega formally retired from his operational role at Inditex, although he remained its largest shareholder.
Personal Life and Relationships
Amancio Ortega married Rosalía Mera in 1966. The couple had two children: Sandra Ortega Mera and Marcos Ortega. Contrary to some accounts, Ortega and Mera had two children, not three. After twenty years of marriage, they divorced in 1986. Mera, who was also a successful businesswoman and co-founder of Zara, passed away in August 2013.
In 2001, Ortega married his second wife, Flora Pérez Marcote. The couple has one daughter together, Marta Ortega Pérez, who has taken on a leadership role within the Inditex Group. Ortega and Flora reside in A Coruña, Spain, maintaining a relatively private lifestyle despite his public status as one of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
