Born in 1936 in Busdongo de Arbas, León, Spain, Amancio Ortega Gaona is the undisputed king of fast fashion and one of the world's most enigmatic billionaires. His childhood was marked by poverty; his father was a railway worker, and the family moved to A Coruña, Galicia, for work. Facing economic hardship, Ortega’s formal education ended abruptly at the age of 14 so he could contribute to the family income.

His first job was working as a shop hand in a local men's shirt store, which provided an invaluable, hands-on apprenticeship in the garment business. He quickly absorbed the inner workings of the fashion supply chain—from the cost of manufacturing and tailoring to the demands of the wealthy clientele. Later, working as a traveling salesman for a clothing manufacturer, he realized the massive inefficiency in the traditional supply chain. This early, pragmatic education—learning how clothes were made, priced, and sold from the ground up—would become the critical foundation for the revolutionary 'fast fashion' model he would invent.

Ortega’s journey to fashion dominance began in the early 1960s with a simple idea: cutting out the middlemen to offer fashionable clothes at affordable prices. He started his first formal venture in 1963, a bathrobe business called Confecciones Goa, operating out of his living room with his first wife, Rosalía Mera. They made bathrobes using less expensive materials and efficient manufacturing techniques.

The major breakthrough came in 1975 with the opening of the first Zara store in A Coruña. Zara was Ortega's radical answer to the slow, traditional fashion cycle. Instead of waiting months, Zara could design, manufacture, distribute, and display new garments in stores in a matter of weeks. This 'fast fashion' model, which relies on sophisticated logistics and in-house production, was a global game-changer. In 1985, he consolidated his brands under the holding company Inditex (Industria de Diseño Textil, SA). Despite immense international success, Ortega remained famously low-profile, shunning the media and continuing to work a regular schedule, even eating lunch in the company cafeteria on the day of Inditex's massive 2001 public offering.

Amancio Ortega conducts his large-scale philanthropy primarily through the Fundación Amancio Ortega. Reflecting his low-key nature, the foundation often focuses on large, structured donations aimed at improving essential public services within Spain.

His most significant philanthropic endeavor has been the multi-million euro donation of cutting-edge cancer detection and treatment equipment to Spanish hospitals. This focus on improving the public health infrastructure of his native country is a practical, high-impact form of giving. The Foundation also supports international scholarship programs for Spanish students to study in North America, promoting education and global exposure. Despite his immense wealth, his giving is marked by a deep-seated commitment to practical, tangible benefits for the Spanish people, shunning the glitz often associated with billionaire charity.

Amancio Ortega is legendary for his unassuming, spartan lifestyle, which is entirely contrary to the extravagant, trend-focused industry he commands. He refuses to wear a tie and is often seen in a simple uniform of a plain blue blazer, white shirt, and gray trousers, clothing purchased, ironically, not from Zara, but from a tailor.

His lifestyle is defined by intense privacy. He rarely gives interviews, avoids red carpets, and ensures his family life is shielded from public view. He is not known for owning superyachts or exotic sports cars; his personal transport is often a modest car driven by a chauffeur. The true luxury of his life is his vast real estate portfolio—not for residential pleasure, but as a stable, massive investment vehicle managed by Pontegadea, which owns entire iconic buildings in major global cities. He is a billionaire who values discipline and anonymity over conspicuous consumption.