INDITEX founder Amancio Ortega is now officially the third richest man on earth, according to the Forbes list.
The owner of the high-street clothing empire has already been listed as the richest man in Europe, but is now only beaten by Bill Gates and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim.
He holds shares in his company valued at 43.8 billion euros, although he is no longer at the helm as he handed over the reins of managing Inditex a year and a half ago.
Bill Gates is worth 51,57 billion and Slim is worth 56 billion euros, according to the annual Forbes rich list.
Ortega is also the one whose fortune grew more than anyone else's on earth last year, rising by 14.98 billion in just 12 months.
Another 20 Spaniards are on this exclusive list, which includes all those who have assets worth more than a billion US dollars.
They include Amancio Ortega's ex-wife Rosalía Mera, in 195th position; Juan Roig, chief executive officer of Mercadona supermarket chain at 219th place; Isak Andic, owner of budget high-street clothing chain Mango at 248 and Manuel Jove, who owns Fadesa, at 527.
Inditex encompasses the low-cost clothing retail chains Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear and Stradivarius, upper-end high-street clothing chains Massimo Dutti and Uterqüe, underwear shop Oysho and luxury interior décor retailer Zara Home.
