MAN BEHIND BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY 'ZARA': AMANCIO ORTEGA

Everyone believes that luck is everything, but luck also becomes their slave when people are hard-working. The most challenging conditions are to bow down in front of hard work. There are numerous instances in which diligent individuals suffer disaster due to obstinacy. Amancio Ortega is one example of this.

Of course, very few people are familiar with this person's name, but rumors about his success are well-known around the globe. So let's read about the person who worked extremely hard to rise from poverty to become the wealthiest man in the world.

Born Into A Poor Family

On March 28, 1936, in the Spanish Village of Lyon, Amancio Ortega was born. The father of Amancio Ortega worked for the railroad. His mother assisted his father in providing for the family's needs by working as a laborer. Because of his extreme poverty, Amancio was unable to complete his education. He quickly understood that her family depended on him.

He decided to stop studying and working as a result. Amancio started working for a fashionable tailor who manufactured garments for affluent clients when he was barely 13 years old. From this point on, Amancio has more difficulties.

Work in a Clothing Shop

Amancio Ortega, however, did not remain in the city for very long. His family relocated to Coruna in 1950 to pursue new jobs, leaving the city behind. There, Amancio was 14 years old. His dad obtained a new position in this place. Amancio found employment at a local shirtmaker in A. Coruna called gala without quitting his job at a clothes store.

The location of this store is still the same. Amancio received his hand sewing instruction here under the tutelage of an Italian fashion designer. A few years later, Amancio was hired by La Maja Hubbard as a sales assistant. There were already his brothers employed there. He took over management of a downtown store in the 1960s. There he met Rosalia Mera, a 16-year-old whom he subsequently married.

Established His Store

Amancio and his wife began producing bathing suits, nightgowns, and underwear in a modest workshop in the early 1960s. Amancio decided to launch his own apparel company in 1972. After that, he and his brother established a Gaona factory. Amancio planned to market premium garments at a cost that young people could afford.

The Origin of a Famous Brand Zara

Amancio planned to create a clothing business called Jorba for this reason in 1975, but he could not get the name. Then he gave his first store the name Zara. Very few fashion enthusiasts today are unaware of companies like Zara. Spain saw the rapid expansion of Zara outlets from the late 1970s through the 1990s.

Amancio combined all Zara stores into a single network to create the Inditex enterprises in 1985. The year 1988 marked the moment when the brand created by the son of a railroad worker began to spread throughout the entire world. The company's first store outside of Spain was established in Porto, Portugal. The following year, Zara established a branch in New York. The next year, he started growing his clientele in Paris.

The World's Wealthiest Man

The wealthiest man in the world in 2016 was Amancio Ortega, the son of a railroad worker. In 2016, Amancio Ortega overtook Bill Gates as the wealthiest person in the world by claiming the title on September 8 and 9. Amancio's net worth is 58.1 billion in 2022. He currently holds the 23rd-richest position in the world.