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Amancio Ortega

$113.3B

Amancio Ortega, born on March 28, 1936, in Busdongo de Arbas, Spain, is a Spanish fashion executive renowned as the founding chairman of the Spanish clothing merchandiser Inditex (Industria de Diseño Textil, SA), which includes the globally popular Zara chain store.

As one of the wealthiest clothing retailers globally, Ortega is a pioneer in fast fashion. He co-founded Inditex with his ex-wife Rosalia Mera in 1975. Ortega currently owns approximately 60% of Madrid-listed Inditex, which boasts 8 brands, including Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear, and operates 7,500 stores worldwide.

Known to earn over $400 million in dividends annually, Ortega's daughter, Marta Ortega Pérez, was announced to assume the chairperson role in April 2022 by Inditex in November 2021. Ortega has primarily invested his dividends in real estate across major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, London, Chicago, Miami, and New York.

Despite his immense success, Ortega maintains a private lifestyle and avoids media attention. Notably, during Inditex's public offering in 2001, Ortega continued his regular work routine, underscoring his modest approach despite his soaring net worth. 

Under his leadership, Inditex became the world's largest fashion retailer in 2008, with over 4,000 stores across 70 countries, solidifying Ortega's position as one of the world's leading billionaires. Though he stepped down as chairman in 2011, Ortega remains actively involved in the company, retaining his majority stake.