Amancio Ortega — The Man Behind Zara
Amancio Ortega — The Man Behind Zara
Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Stradivarius, Oysho, Bershka
👋 Hello, this is your weekly dose of inspiration and practical guidance. Every Friday you will receive a captivating visual timeline that charts the rise of a successful individual + lessons derived from that.
Amancio Ortega was born on March 28 in Busdongo de Arbas, León, Spain.
At the tender age of 14, he starts working for a local shirtmaker named Gala.
At the age of 27, he started his own dressmaking workshop.
At 39, he starts the first Zara store.
This was followed by expanding internationally, more than a decade later.
During his 50s and 60s, he creates Pull and Bear, acquires Massimo Dutti, creates Lefties, Bershka, buys Stradivarius, launches Oysho and takes Inditex public on the Spanish stock market.
Today, Amancio Ortega is worth more than $110 billion.
One Lesson from Amancio Ortega
Stay Humble and Be Patient
More often than not, Ortega is seeing visiting the same coffee shop, or having lunch with employees.
Being successful does not mean you cannot be humble. He still enjoys luxurious items. He still lives his life to the fullest.
But he chooses to be humble.
I believe that is a good way to live.
Patience is also worth its weight in gold. He was patient enough and worked for success most of his life. Unlike the youngest billionaire, he only started his venture, Zara, at 39.
It’s never too late.
Until Next Friday,
The Chronicler.
The founders behind big companies did not start aiming for billions — they started small. Check out their stories below.