The founder of the Inditex empire, whose wealth is estimated at $141 billion, is now the largest real estate owner in the world, with assets worth about $25 billion.
Ninety-year-old Amancio Ortega, the brilliant creator of Inditex, behind fashion giants like Zara, Oysho, and Massimo Dutti, now holds the title of the world's largest real estate owner. According to Forbes, his total wealth reaches an astonishing $141 billion. His impressive portfolio includes over 200 properties spread across 13 countries — from majestic office skyscrapers to modern wind farms, stretching from sunny California to distant South Korea.
Impressive Acquisitions
Among the jewels of Amancio Ortega's collection are a 43-story skyscraper in the heart of Madrid and the famous Royal Bank Plaza tower in Toronto, whose windows shine thanks to a coating of pure gold. However, the billionaire does not chase luxurious palaces; his goal is strategically significant properties perfectly suited for long-term leases to large corporations. A striking example is last year's acquisition: in November, he paid around $850 million in cash for the historic Canada Post building in Vancouver — a colossal tech hub whose office space is now leased by Amazon itself.
Since the world's largest clothing retailer Inditex debuted on the Madrid Stock Exchange in 2001, Ortega has invested about $24 billion in acquiring 216 properties scattered across nearly 100 countries worldwide.
Path to Success
The story of Amancio Ortega is one of a journey from the humble son of a railway worker, who started his career at 14 as a messenger in a shirt shop, to a global magnate. In the 1960s, together with his then-wife Rosalía Mera, a talented seamstress, he began sewing dresses and lingerie. Their joint venture, the Zara brand, was born in 1975, and ten years later, the entire Inditex empire was established. Despite their divorce in 1986, Rosalía remained on the board of directors until 2004 and was a shareholder in the company until her passing in 2013.
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