Founder Profile
Amancio Ortega
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Amancio Ortega?
Amancio Ortega is a founder of Inditex, S.A., which was founded in 1985 with Rosalía Mera.
- Company founded
- Inditex, S.A.
- Founded
- 1985
- Co-founders
- Rosalía Mera
Background
Garment trade apprentice and manufacturer in A Coruña; built the integrated production and logistics system that defines the Inditex model.
Founding Story
Amancio Ortega (born 1936 in Busdongo de Arbás, León) is the founder and controlling shareholder of Inditex. After working as a shirtmaker's delivery boy and shop assistant in A Coruña, he co-founded Confecciones GOA in 1963 and opened the first Zara store in 1975. He served as chairman until 2011 and remains the group's largest shareholder through Pontegadea, which also holds a large international real estate portfolio. He is consistently ranked among the world's richest people.
Amancio Ortega Gaona was born on March 28, 1936. He is regarded as a pioneer of fast fashion. Amancio Ortega was born in 1936.