Amancio Ortega Biography
This is the true story of the son of a railway worker, who, due to the extremely poor financial condition of his family, had to face many challenges and was forced to leave school at a very young age to start working.
But he didn’t stop. He moved into business, where, through his hard work and dedication, he turned his company into the world’s largest fast fashion chain. On the strength of this achievement, he eventually became the richest man in the world.
Yes, this is the story of Amancio Ortega, the founder and owner of Zara and its group of companies. He faced tremendous difficulties in his early life, and despite them, he succeeded in making Zara one of the most successful brands in history.
His life is not only extremely inspiring but also teaches several essential lessons for building a successful brand. To know more in depth, read on...
Early Life: Struggles of a Poor Family
Amancio Ortega Gaona was born on 28 March 1936 in a small Spanish village called Busdongo de Arbas, with a population of fewer than 100 people. He was the youngest of four siblings.
His father, Antonio Ortega, worked in the railways, where he repaired and maintained railway tracks. Later, he was transferred to the city of A Coruña in Spain.
In this new place, they were provided a shabby railway quarter to live in, where Amancio had to live with his family.
Due to a large family and his father's low salary, they faced severe financial difficulties. To support the household, his mother Josefa Gaona Hernández started working door-to-door.
A Mother's Humiliation and a Life-Changing Resolution
The situation became so dire that his mother had to ask people for money just to run the household. One day, she went to a shop requesting groceries on credit, but the shopkeeper humiliated her badly and threw her out.
When Amancio found out, it deeply affected him. To support his parents, he decided to quit school at the age of just 14 and set out in search of a job.
First Job and Business Lessons
Eventually, he got a job with a shirtmaker named Gala. Initially, he delivered clothes to customers' homes.
While working there, he learned essential things about tailoring, customer interaction, and business operations. Due to his performance, he quickly rose to the position of senior manager at Gala.
In his free time, he would help at his sister’s shop. There, he noticed that clothes which didn’t sell resulted in losses. So, he started modifying unsold clothes slightly and selling them to other shopkeepers at a profit.
Later, he began sourcing cheap fabric from Barcelona and selling it to local manufacturers, steadily growing in the trade.
The Birth of Zara and Brand Vision
In 1963, Amancio started making his own clothes under the label Confecciones Goa. He formed a group of women tailors and provided a good work environment.
Initially, he produced lingerie for children and nightgowns for women, selling them to clothing stores. Around this time, in 1966, he married Rosalía Mera.
As demand grew, he began producing different types of clothing. To meet the rising demand, he expanded production capacity by hiring more workers and building larger workshops.
By 1975, his business had grown significantly. But he was still only supplying clothes to others, mainly men’s apparel.
Around this time, he got the idea of selling clothes directly. Together with his wife, he opened their first store under the name Zorba. However, since a nearby bar already had the same name, they changed it to Zara and began selling clothes under this brand.
He focused on providing good-quality clothes at affordable prices. Customers loved his products, and demand increased rapidly. This led him to open more stores in different locations.
The secret behind Zara’s rapid popularity lies in Ortega’s unique business strategy—he focused on giving customers exactly what they wanted, as quickly as possible.
Each year, Zara launches many new designs and frequently updates its store inventory. This urgency encourages customers to buy immediately, fearing they might not find the product later.
The Birth of Inditex and Global Expansion
By 1985, Zara stores had spread all over Spain. Ortega now wanted to take his brand global and introduce Zara’s fashion abroad. For this, he established Inditex as the holding company for Zara and its manufacturing plants, becoming its CEO.
Around this time, he separated from his wife, but he didn’t let it affect his business.
In 1988, he opened his first international Zara store in Porto, Portugal—marking the beginning of Zara’s global expansion. Later, he opened stores in many countries.
He focused on building or acquiring strong brands in the fashion segment.
In 1991, he launched the Pull & Bear brand under Inditex to cater to casual menswear. Then, he acquired a 65% stake in Massimo Dutti, adding it to the Inditex family.
In 1998, Zara’s global presence grew rapidly. That year, he also launched Bershka, a trendy youth-focused brand. Later, Stradivarius, a women’s fashion brand, was also acquired.
Journey to Becoming the Richest Person in the World
With such massive success, Amancio Ortega launched an IPO of Inditex in 2001. During this IPO, he appeared in public for the first time. His wealth continued to grow.
After 14 years of living alone, he married Flora Pérez. He also established the Amancio Ortega Foundation for philanthropic efforts.
By 2011, Zara had expanded to most countries, becoming one of the biggest fashion chains in the world.
Though Ortega began talking about retirement, he continued to hold key roles in several of his companies.
In 2015, Inditex shares soared in value, pushing his net worth above $80 billion. For a time, he even overtook Bill Gates to become the world’s richest person—and stayed among the top for quite some time.
Today, Inditex and its brands like Zara and Bershka operate over 7,200 stores in more than 95 countries, employing over 162,000 people. This makes it the world’s largest fast fashion chain.
The company’s current valuation is over $171 billion. Ortega owns 60–65% of it, making his personal net worth over $108 billion. He is currently among the top 10 richest individuals globally.
Simplicity and Social Contribution: A True Inspiration
Ortega prefers to keep his life private and low-profile. He has given only a few interviews in his life. Until 1999, no public photograph of him was available.
Despite his immense wealth, he believes in living simply and has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to social causes through his foundation.
He still dresses modestly when going to the office and lives like an ordinary man. He is known to be very close to his daughter Marta Ortega, who is seen as the next heir to his empire.
Conclusion:
Amancio Ortega’s story teaches us that a lack of resources can never stop success if you have dreams, courage, and dedication. Rising from a poor family, he built a brand that revolutionized the fashion industry. His biography is an inspiration for every young entrepreneur.
"If you found this story inspiring, share it and let us know in the comments – which part of this journey inspired you the most?"
.jpg)
0 Comments