| Amancio Ortega Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 8 in |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Date of Birth | March 28, 1936 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Spouse | Flora Pérez Marcote |
Amancio Ortega is a Spanish billionaire businessman who became the world’s richest man for a brief period in 2015 when his net worth peaked at 80 billion dollars. His fashion house, Inditex grew at an exponential rate owing to its business model of a fast production and distribution system.
Born Name
Amancio Ortega Gaona
Nick Name
Amancio
Sun Sign
Aries
Born Place
Busdongo de Arbás, Castile and León, Spain
Residence
- A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
- Owns real estate properties in Madrid & Barcelona (Spain), London (UK), Miami, Chicago, & New York (USA)
Nationality
Education
Amancio quit school at the age of 14 and started working as a shop hand at a small shirtmaker’s shop called Gala in A Coruña (that exists even today). He worked there as an apprentice and learned to stitch clothes by hand.
Occupation
Self-made billionaire Retail Business Magnate, Founder of Inditex Fashion Group best known for its flagship store Zara along with 7 other brands
Family
- Father – Antonio Ortega Rodríguez (Railway Worker)
- Mother – Josefa Gaona Hernández (Housemaid)
- Siblings – Antonio Ortega Gaona (Older Brother), Josefa & Pilar (Older Sisters)
- Others – Pablo Gómez (Son-in-Law) (Husband of Sandra Ortega Mera), Sergio Álvarez Moya (Former Son-in-Law) (Marta Ortega’s Ex-Husband) (Equestrian / International Show Jumper), Carlos Torreta (Son-in-Law) (Former NYC-based model agent turned Zara employee after marriage to Marta), Amancio Álvarez (Grandson) (Marta’s son with Sergio). Amancio has 3 other grandchildren via older daughter Sandra.
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
80 kg or 176.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Amancio has dated –
- Rosalía Mera Goyenechea (1966–1986) – He got married to the co-founder of the Zara brand, Rosalía Mera Goyenechea in 1966. The couple got divorced in 1986. During their two-decade marriage, the couple had 2 children – a son named Marcos (b. 1971) who was born with Cerebral Palsy and a daughter named Sandra Ortega Mera (b. July 1968). Rosalía expired in August 2013 at the age of 69 after suffering a stroke. Her daughter, Sandra inherited her 7% stake in Inditex.
- Flora Pérez Marcote (2001–Present) – Flora was an employee of Amancio’s company and they got married in 2001. The couple became parents to their daughter named Marta Ortega (b. January 1984) who is popularly addressed as Zara heiress because Amancio groomed her for many years to take over the reins of his fashion house.
Race / Ethnicity
Hispanic
He has Spanish ancestry.
Hair Color
Gray
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Horse-shoe pattern baldness
- Stocky build
- Grim face
- Has a signature work uniform of gray trousers, white shirt, and blue blazer without a tie
Religion
The billionaire has never publicly clarified his religious views. In 2012, his foundation donated 20 million Euros to an International Roman Catholic charity named Cáritas that led others to believe that he is possibly a devout Catholic Christian.
Amancio Ortega Facts
- Growing up, the Zara founder faced such impoverished conditions that often his parents could only afford to feed him potatoes for a meal.
- Ortega established his first independent business in 1972. It was called Confecciones Goa that sold quilted bathrobes.
- Extremely introvert and private about his personal life, until 1999, there were no published pictures of him or his family.
- Amancio established his first Zara store abroad in 1988 in the city of Porto, Portugal.
- Although he reads newspapers and magazines, Ortega feels unease with written communication. To date, he prefers to delegate paperwork and as such has never owned a personal office, desk or computer.
- He announced his imminent retirement as the chairman of Inditex in 2011 and turned his focus to real estate investment. Ortega purchased the 43-story Torres Piccasso skyscraper in Madrid in December 2011, followed by a purchase of 54-story waterfront luxury Epic Residences and Hotel in Miami, United States. He also owns a skyscraper on New York City’s 59th street and continues to purchase commercial buildings in several other American cities.
- The business magnate is fond of horse riding and owns an Equestrian center in Galicia, Spain.
Featured Image by Amancio Ortega / Facebook
