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Spanish entrepreneur and owner of the Zara brand, Amancio Ortega, has been recognized as the largest real estate owner in the world. This was reported by Forbes magazine, citing corporate documents, land registry data, and specialized real estate databases.
The publication estimates his portfolio to be worth approximately $25 billion and includes more than 200 properties in 13 countries. This asset size makes Ortega a leading real estate magnate, surpassing the portfolio value of leading developers, including Australian businessman Harry Triguboff and American developer Donald Bren.
As Forbes notes, since 2001, following Inditex's listing on the Madrid Stock Exchange, Ortega has invested approximately $24 billion in 216 properties in nearly 100 countries. Most of these remain his, however; he has only divested ten properties.
The entrepreneur's total investment in real estate exceeds the amount that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos invested in the Blue Origin space project, which is estimated at approximately $20 billion.
In the last year alone, Ortega has spent over $3 billion on deals across ten cities and eight countries. These acquisitions include office buildings, hotels, industrial parks, a shopping mall, and an apartment building, as well as a stake in a British port operator.
Among the major deals was the purchase of the historic Canada Post building in Vancouver, which was converted into a 93,000-square-meter technology hub. The space was later leased to Amazon. The deal, valued at approximately $850 million, became the largest office property sale in Canadian history.
According to experts, Ortega's investment strategy is characterized by a focus on stable, high-quality assets. He prefers to acquire properties that are already market leaders, avoiding high-risk investments.
According to Forbes estimates as of April 16, the entrepreneur's net worth is $139.3 billion, placing him 13th on the list of the world's richest people.
