Amancio Ortega Gaona

Age: 73
Residence: A Coruña, Spain
What keeps him busy: Chairman of Industria de Diseñro Textil

A high school dropout, Amancio Ortega Gaona is Spain's richest man. In 1974, he founded Inditex (ITX.D), one of the world's largest fashion distributors, with over 4,000 stores throughout 73 countries, and he remains its chairman. In 2008 Inditex generated $14.6 billion in revenue. Its best-known chain is Zara, but it also operates such brands as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, and Bershka.

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