Approaching his 90th birthday , Amancio Ortega continues to defy the stereotype of a peaceful retirement. The founder of Inditex faces this milestone with an unusual combination of full business activity, extreme discretion, and a virtually unchanging routine between A Coruña, Arteixo, and his Galician retreats.
While most people his age are content to take walks or spend time with their families, he continues to work daily, closely monitoring the performance of Zara, Inditex, and Pontegadea , and overseeing an investment network that spans Europe and much of the world. Those who work with him daily describe him as a demanding, reserved, and yet affectionate, loyal man who is deeply devoted to his people.
A 90th birthday without the spotlight and with business records
Tomorrow, March 28, Amancio Ortega turns 90, occupying a unique position: he is the wealthiest person in Spain and one of the richest in Europe, with a fortune valued at around 140.000 billion euros, according to the latest estimates from major international lists. However, his way of experiencing this moment is anything but ostentatious.
Those close to him say there are no big parties or public celebrations planned . The plan is to celebrate privately, between his house on the O Parrote promenade in A Coruña and the Pazo de Drozo in Anceis, that 18th-century estate surrounded by a vegetable garden, chicken coop, centuries-old trees, and a simple routine that allows him to disconnect. There, among vegetables, farm-fresh eggs, and family walks, the magnate feels more at ease than on any international red carpet.
The business environment, however, is virtually unbeatable. Inditex has posted its best results ever in the last fiscal year , with a net profit exceeding €6.000 billion and a new cash balance record that will translate into a dividend of around €3.500 billion for its main shareholder. Meanwhile, Ortega's fortune has grown by approximately 75% in the last decade, reaching over €120.000 billion according to some estimates, thanks to Inditex's stock market performance and the strength of Pontegadea.
Far from simply collecting dividends, the businessman has used that cash flow to accelerate a diversification that goes far beyond office skyscrapers: solar and wind power plants, high-voltage networks, port logistics, logistics parks and hydrogen projects are already part of the Ortega ecosystem, with Europe as its hub and a strong presence in markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg or Australia.
In the last decade, Inditex alone has generated approximately €19.300 billion in dividends , compared to €6.200 billion in the previous decade. With this wealth, it has built one of the largest private real estate portfolios in Europe and the world , with assets valued at around €25.000 billion and annual rental income of approximately €657 million.
Work routine, excellent health, and a discreet life in Galicia
Despite his age, his daily life is much more like that of a working executive than a retiree. In A Coruña, it's easy to spot him strolling around the port, through María Pita Square, walking his dog , stopping for breakfast at the Royal Yacht Club, or greeting acquaintances. Those who have a meal with him say he still has a great sense of humor, anecdotes, and an undiminished curiosity.
Those close to him insist that his health is remarkably good . He has even managed to do without the cane he used a few years ago. He doesn't drink alcohol, watches what he eats, and has installed a heated pool at his home so he can swim daily. Exercise is always at the top of his schedule: walks, some training guided by a personal trainer, and almost military-like discipline with his routine.
Then comes work. It's not unusual to see him arriving in the morning at Inditex's headquarters in Arteixo , a complex that many employees describe as a small, self-contained universe. There, he maintains an open-plan office, surrounded by designers, buyers, and technical staff, and often eats in the same cafeteria as the rest of the team . Those who know him say that this close connection to the day-to-day operations is key to keeping him "in the loop" on what's happening at the company.
In parallel, he continues as a proprietary director of Inditex , a position he renewed in 2023 for four years, expiring in 2027. Reports submitted to the CNMV (Spanish National Securities Market Commission) show an attendance rate of nearly 97% for board meetings in recent terms, with presence at almost every meeting. The group's Appointments Committee has highlighted his "commitment, diligence, and professionalism" and describes his contributions as " the best possible advice, of incalculable value " to the governing body.
This combination of constant presence and low media profile largely explains his almost mythical aura. He has never given an in-depth interview, doesn't give speeches at public events, and doesn't appear at international conferences . His public appearances are limited to specific moments, such as the Casas Novas Equestrian Trophy or the occasional candid photo at the A Coruña Yacht Club. Authorized biographies and the testimonies of those who worked with him have had to fill the void.
Family, succession and an empire with Galician DNA
If there's one thing Ortega considers an undeniable success of the last decade, it's the succession process at Inditex. Since 2011, when he handed over the executive chairmanship to Pablo Isla , and especially since 2022, with Marta Ortega taking over as non-executive chairman and Óscar García Maceiras joining the top executive ranks, the group has consolidated a model that combines top-level professionals with a strong family presence.
The current leadership maintains a distinctly Galician character: in addition to Marta, her wife, Flora Pérez Marcote , and her trusted advisor at the holding company, Roberto Cibeira , sit on the board . Flora, known for her extreme discretion, is both a key figure in family cohesion and president of the Amancio Ortega Foundation . The circle is completed by executives like García Maceiras, whose salary is around €11,5 million annually, and a group of independent directors with international experience.
In operational areas, the family's influence also extends to Flora's brothers, Jorge and Óscar Pérez Marcote , who head Massimo Dutti and Zara , respectively. Her other daughter, Sandra Ortega , who inherited her mother Rosalía Mera's stake, retains around 5% of Inditex, although she has always remained outside the corporate spotlight.
According to those close to him, seeing Marta become a president respected by the international market has given him “the peace of mind of a warrior.” He retains close to 60% of the capital, a position that guarantees him annual dividends of several billion euros , but he has delegated much of the operational control. His role, they say, is no longer to “control,” but to ensure that “the machine runs smoothly” and that the Galician and family DNA of the group remains intact.
The businessman's private life also revolves around this family. They all reside in the emblematic O Parrote building, a four-story property with white galleries and sea views, where Marta and her family occupy the penthouse and Amancio and Flora the lower floors . On weekends when he's not in Anceis, he can often be seen at the port, at the Casas Novas equestrian center watching his children and grandchildren compete, or sharing a meal with a group of lifelong friends, including former mayor Paco Vázquez and the timber magnate José María Caamaño.
From "baotiné" bathrobes to the world's largest textile group
To understand the figure who turns 90, it's helpful to go back to his origins. Born in 1936 in Busdongo de Arbas (León) , the son of a railway worker, his childhood was spent in a post-war Spain marked by economic hardship. One of the most frequently recounted episodes in biographies is the day he accompanied his mother to a grocery store and the owner refused to extend them credit because they didn't have enough money. That humiliation, as told by journalist Covadonga O'Shea, affected him so deeply that he decided to leave school and start working.
At just 14 years old, he started as a messenger boy at the Gala shirt shop in A Coruña . Later, he moved to establishments like La Maja , where he learned to observe the customer, manage stock, and understand the value of responding quickly to requests in the store. There he met Rosalía Mera , with whom he began a business venture that started almost entirely by hand, sewing bathrobes and women's clothing at home.
In 1963, they both started Goa Confecciones , a small workshop that produced "boatiné" bathrobes and other garments at affordable prices. From the beginning, Ortega was clear about the core of his proposal: to democratize fashion , offering attractive and well-made clothing to a broad public, regardless of their income level, and to control the value chain as much as possible to reduce intermediaries and lead times.
That learning crystallized in 1975, when the first Zara store opened in the center of A Coruña . What began as a local business evolved in just a few years into a model radically different from what prevailed in the sector: short production cycles, constant renewal of collections, near real-time reading of what was selling, and meticulous coordination between design, manufacturing, logistics, and the store.
In 1985, to ensure coherence in the brand's growth and the incorporation of new labels, Inditex was created , the holding company that would encompass Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Stradivarius, and other chains. From then on, international expansion was meteoric: Porto, New York, Paris, and the main European capitals saw the arrival of stores located on prime streets where location and the shopping experience were prioritized over traditional advertising.
Inditex today: historic results and global leadership
Nearly half a century after that first store, Inditex is the world's largest textile group by sales , with more than 5.600 stores spread across nearly 100 markets and a powerful global e-commerce network. It employs more than 160.000 people of over 170 nationalities and maintains a decisive presence in the Ibex 35 and the Spanish economy as a whole.
The latest results have set new records: net profit exceeding €6.000 billion , a strong cash position, and a dividend policy that has increased 2,5 times over the last decade. At the same time, the company has reinforced its commitment to digitalization, sustainability, and brand image enhancement —key elements during Marta Ortega's tenure.
The formula that has been so thoroughly analyzed in business schools remains valid: lean production, proximity to key European markets, ultra-efficient logistics, and a keen eye for spotting trends . In Arteixo, they say that Amancio, even at 90, still strolls through the showrooms, asks about fabrics, colors, and cuts, and maintains his undiminished obsession with detail: from the height of the displays to the lighting in the pilot stores.
All of this has solidified his prominent position in international wealth rankings. Over the past few years, his name has fluctuated between first and twentieth place on global lists, before more recently returning to the top 10 of the world's richest people . What is striking is that, in a landscape dominated by tech giants and digital platforms, Ortega's fortune remains essentially tied to fashion, real estate, and the patient management of time.
Inditex's IPO in 2001, now 25 years ago, was a major financial turning point. That leap, at the age of 65, made him a multimillionaire overnight and opened the door to the creation of Pontegadea , the vehicle that channels his diversification and which today has an independent existence.
Pontegadea: from the “landlord of Europe” to player in renewables and logistics
If Inditex is the foundation, Pontegadea is the second pillar of the Ortega universe. Headquartered in A Coruña and with teams spread across several countries, the real estate holding company has positioned itself in a matter of years as one of the largest private owners of properties in Europe and a significant investor in sectors such as energy and infrastructure.
The strategy is as simple on paper as it is complex in practice: reinvest Inditex's dividends in high-quality, well-located assets with creditworthy tenants . This has translated into the purchase of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and, more recently, logistics centers in cities such as London, New York, Miami, Vancouver, Dublin, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, and Seoul . Many of these are leased to giants like Amazon, Meta, major banks, or international hotel chains such as Iberostar, NH, and Accor.
In the last twelve months, the group has closed around 20 deals in 11 countries for a total of nearly €3.000 billion , including hotels in major European capitals, a residential complex of more than 2.000 homes in Florida, and its entry into the port logistics business in the UK and Australia. In January, for example, it participated, along with the Macquarie fund, in the acquisition of the Australian company Qube Holdings, one of the largest logistics deals in recent years.
Nor has its commitment to renewable energy lagged behind . Pontegadea has been acquiring stakes in wind farms and solar plants , often in partnership with groups like Repsol, as well as holdings in electrical infrastructure and hydrogen projects . Its stated objective is to become a key player in the energy transition, especially in Spain and other European countries.
At the head of this asset network is Roberto Cibeira , a Galician executive trained in the American real estate market who joined the group when he was just over 30 years old, when Ortega was already around 70. Cibeira has taken over from José Arnau , the businessman's long-time guardian of his interests, and leads a team of about 45 people who, from the offices in Pontegadea —a few minutes' walk from the tycoon's house—, apply a simple recipe: don't attract attention, avoid excessive risks and keep the level of debt very low.
Since 2024, Luxembourg has become the nerve center of its European business , concentrating international assets worth more than €6.400 billion, excluding those in Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Despite the group's size, its mortgage debt barely reaches €260 million, a very low figure for a conglomerate of this scale, demonstrating Ortega's aversion to banks and leverage.
Silent philanthropy: the legacy of the Amancio Ortega Foundation
Beyond business and real estate, Ortega's other major area of activity at 90 years old is the Amancio Ortega Foundation . Although its name has generated controversy at times, the magnitude of its donations places it among the most important philanthropic organizations in Spain and Europe.
In the last fiscal year alone, the group of companies allocated €699 million to the Foundation , a figure significantly higher than the €80 million and €53 million of the two preceding years. The majority of these funds come from Pontegadea's real estate division and, according to internal reports, are donated " purely, simply, and irrevocably ." The bulk of the money has been used to purchase and donate proton therapy equipment for cancer treatment to public hospitals in Spain and Portugal, as well as to build public centers for the elderly in Galicia.
Its involvement is not limited to healthcare. In recent years, it has also contributed to the reconstruction of areas affected by natural disasters , such as the Valencian towns devastated by the DANA storm or the municipalities of Mira (Cuenca) and Letur (Albacete), where it funded early aid and a €100 million recovery fund. All of this was achieved with minimal personal presence at inauguration events and no aggressive communication campaigns.
In addition to these initiatives, there are lesser-known but significant projects, such as regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration . One example is the “Sobrado Forestal” project in Sobrado dos Monxes (A Coruña), where in 2016 he acquired approximately 100 hectares to replant native Galician chestnut trees and promote the restoration of the rural environment. According to those close to him, he sees this type of investment as a way of giving back to the land that has given him so much.
With all this, the Foundation has now accumulated more than €1.000 billion in social and healthcare projects , largely linked to public health services. In the coming years, the Foundation expects to commission new high-tech cancer treatment equipment in various Spanish hospitals and open more residential care homes for the elderly, managed by public administrations but financed with Ortega's private capital.
On a daily basis, the public face of this work is increasingly Flora Pérez , who has been gaining prominence in some events linked to the Foundation. She shares with her husband a low, almost militant profile, but those who know them say that her opinion is among the few that Ortega always listens to before a major real estate purchase or a significant strategic decision.
Human portrait: character, anecdotes and a way of understanding work
Behind the numbers emerges the figure of a man whom many describe as demanding, reserved, and yet very humane . Former executives and colleagues speak of his ability to listen attentively, his quickness in analyzing complex situations, and a kind of business intuition that is difficult to explain.
One of his long-time collaborators recounts how, when he proposed that he lead a new project, the businessman refused a couple of times, claiming he didn't feel ready. The businessman's response was firm: "If it's not with you, I won't do it; for me, the person is what matters, not the project ." These kinds of gestures, they maintain, are what make many of his former employees speak of him almost as a father figure.
He's not one for open conflict, avoiding it whenever possible, and, as some admit, this has occasionally led him to trust advice from people who perhaps weren't the right ones . But those who have known him for decades agree that money hasn't changed him. He's still, they say, " the same as always, the one who started working at 12 to help out at home ."
In his daily life, his sense of humor, his love of well-told stories, and his devotion to family stand out . The image that went viral throughout Spain on his 80th birthday, when he became emotional during a surprise flash mob at the Arteixo headquarters and ended up genuinely smiling as he held one of his grandchildren, perfectly encapsulates this side of him. Those close to him say he is "a man deeply in love with his family" and that, for him, his children and grandchildren come first, followed by the company.
In A Coruña, many see him as just another neighbor: he has breakfast at the Náutico, enjoys an aperitif in María Pita Square, watches his grandchildren train on Friday afternoons, or eats at local restaurants, where he doesn't shy away from simple dishes like eggs with potatoes and chorizo . His closest friends belong to that "old guard" of Galician suppliers and businesspeople who grew up alongside Inditex.
On a professional level, his legacy extends far beyond the stores: he has instilled a work culture based on teamwork, continuous improvement, and caring for people . In the Inditex cafeteria, the emphasis is on healthy, locally sourced food; in the offices, on horizontal collaboration; and in the factories, on agility and responsiveness. All these elements are part of a way of understanding the company that he himself has been refining for decades.
Ninety years after his birth into a humble family persecuted by the Franco regime, Ortega remains an atypical figure at the pinnacle of global capitalism : a man without public speeches, without social media, without grand displays, and with a clear aversion to ostentation. For many, he is the last representative of a generation of entrepreneurs who built their careers in the workshop and the store, not in the spotlight.
The fact that he has reached this age still going to the office, participating in board meetings, closely following Zara's collections, investing in renewables, and funding oncology equipment for the public healthcare system paints a rather unusual picture: that of someone who, having achieved almost every imaginable goal, prefers to keep "getting involved" and working rather than retire to contemplate his own legend . Those who know him are not surprised: they have been saying for years that money has never mattered as much to Amancio Ortega as work and time well spent.
