In this success story, we are going to share Amancio Ortega Gaona biography, a Spanish fashion entrepreneur and the co-founder of the Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A, which includes the pret-a-porter fashion chains such as Zara, Berksha, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Uterque, Stradivarius and others.
Born into poverty, Ortega Gaona has accumulated enormous wealth, openness, and modesty, remaining his main personality traits. Known for having been publicist mystery for decades, Amancio Ortega is a true media nightmare, as neither Spain richest man nor any of his relatives have ever given public interviews.
Amancio Ortega Gaona Early Life
Amancio Ortega Gaona was born in Busongo De Arbas, Leon, Spain, on the 28th of March, 1936. He is the son of Antonia Ortega Rodriguez and Josefa Gaona Hernandez. He mostly spent his childhood in Leon.
Ortega left school at an early age and moved to A Coruna at the age of 14. Shortly after, he found a job as a shop hand for a local shirtmaker called Gala, which still sits on the same corner in downtown A Coruna.
Amancio Ortega Gaona Career
Amancio Ortega Gaona founded Confecciones Goa in 1972 to spell quilted bathrobes. A few years later, he-opened his Zara store with his wife, Rosalia Mera.
In the year 2009, Zara was a part of the Inditex Group, of which Ortega owned 59.29% and, aside from around 6000 stores, included the brands Zara, Tempe, Pull, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Massimo Dutti, and Zara Home.
His public appearances in the year 2000, as a part of the warm-up prior to his company IPO on the stock market in 2001, made headlines in the Spanish financial press. Ortega was, moreover, the only one who was ever granted interviews with three journalists.
In the year 2011, Ortega announced his imminent retirement from Inditex, Parents Company to the Zara chain, stating that he would ask Inditex Vice-President and CEO Pablo Isla to take his place.
As of 2016, he owned around 60% of Inditex, which is the holding company for Zara and related chains.
In 2020, Amancio Ortega’s net worth is around to be $60.3 billion.
3 Rules for Success from Amancio Ortega
Now that you know all about Amancio Ortega’s net worth and how he achieved success. Let’s take a look at some of the lessons we can learn from him:
1. Introverts can thrive as entrepreneurs
Most entrepreneurs are extroverts, but that is by no means necessary to succeed. Many great entrepreneurs are introverts, and Amancio Ortega is one of them.
Little is known about the retail company because he makes a lot of effort to avoid having to talk to the press. He once said: “You must appear three times in the newspapers: when you are born when you get married, and when you die.”
Dont be discouraged if you are not the life of the party because you can still run a profitable business.
2. Be humble and modest
Being successful in life does not mean that you can’t still be modest and humble. In fact, having those traits can be extremely beneficial for both your personal and professional lives. Humility has been found to help us cope better with anxiety, become better leaders and workers, have more self-control, and be more willing to help others.
3. Good things come to those who wait
Even though ten years may seem like an eternity when establishing a business, it clearly paid off. Being patient gives you the chance to wait, watch, and know when to act in all segments of your life. Instead of acting inappropriately, with patience, you can step back, regroup, and make the best decision possible.
Conclusion
Amancio Ortega is one of the richest businessman and fashion founders in Europe. He is behind some of the most famous brands, such as Zara, Tempe, and Breshka.
