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AMANCIO Ortega, the founder of fashion chain Zara and Spain’s richest person, is now the world’s top landlord thanks to a sprawling property empire worth more than €21 billion.
According to Business Magazine, the Galician businessman who turned 90 in December boasts of the most lucrative real estate portfolio, with over 200 properties spread across 13 countries. Forbes.
His remarkable collection exceeds those of other leading property barons including Australia’s Harry Triguboff (€19.7 billion) and America’s Donald Bren (€16.3 billion).
That includes holdings worth around €12 billion through his investment company Pontegadea, almost €3 billion in Pontegadea GB 2020 and more than €3.5 billion in Partler.
The extraordinary amount also takes into account the billionaire’s recent business dealings, with more than €1.8 billion spent on nine real estate deals made last year including the purchase of the historic Canada Post building in Vancouver for around €720 million.
READ MORE: Amancio Ortega buys €182million yacht: Billionaire Zara founder’s new vessel features helicopter pad, swimming pool and children’s playground
The spending spree has ramped up since Ortega’s Inditex fashion group, which includes chains Zara, Bershka and Pull&Bear, went public on the Madrid stock exchange in 2001.
Ortega’s strategy sees him reinvest lucrative dividends extracted from the company into real estate, allowing him to create an empire that dwarfs Spain’s two largest property firms, Merlin Properties (€12.5 billion) and Colonial SFL (€12 billion).
In 2026, he is forecast to receive a record €3.2 billion from Inditex’s profits.
The investments also help him avoid a hefty tax bill, with the cash tied up in business assets rather than sitting idle in his chunky bank account – potentially saving Ortega more than €650 million since 2001.
Ortega has listed many eye-catching properties, including the Torre Picasso Skyscraper in Madrid and the Planeta Headquarters in Barcelona. Also included are the Royal Bank Plaza Toronto, which is gold-coated, and Devonshire House London, an iconic landmark.
READ MORE: Spain’s Zara founder Amancio Ortega, 88, is wealthier than ever as he tops rich list yet again
“He seems to have an unlimited amount of money, unlike most real-estate investors,” a broker explained. Forbes.
“He prefers to purchase things with low risk. He doesn’t try to improve them. He buys collectible assets which are best in class on the market. “A little more like an art collector of the most expensive art pieces.”
Son of a railroad worker, Ortega became wealthy through fashion. He founded Zara in 1975, and Inditex a decade later.
As of 2026, Ortega had a net worth of €124 billion, making him the tenth richest man in the world and the second wealthiest in Europe behind French businessman Bernard Arnault.
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