The Most Famous

BUSINESSPEOPLE from Spain

This page contains a list of the greatest Spanish Businesspeople. The pantheon dataset contains 847 Businesspeople, 15 of which were born in Spain. This makes Spain the birth place of the 11th most number of Businesspeople behind Switzerland, and Japan.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Spanish Businesspeople of all time. This list of famous Spanish Businesspeople is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Spanish Businesspeople.

1. Florentino Pérez (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 72.58, Florentino Pérez is the most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 52 different languages on wikipedia.

Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [floɾenˈtino ˈpeɾes roˈðɾiɣeθ]; born 8 March 1947) is a Spanish businessman and the current president of football club Real Madrid, as well as Chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a civil engineering company. He is a civil engineer from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, he is the widower of María Ángeles Sandoval and has three children. He began his professional career in the private sector in 1971 and became general manager of the Spanish Road Association between 1972 and 1976.He has been President of Real Madrid from 2000 to 2006 and 2009 onwards. During his first six years as president, he implemented the Galácticos policy of bringing the world's best players to Real Madrid. In his first four seasons in charge, he bought Luís Figo from arch-rivals Barcelona, Zinedine Zidane for a then-world record transfer fee, Ronaldo and David Beckham. From the 2003–04 season onward, the club failed to win a trophy, leading Pérez to resign in 2006. He assumed office again in 2009 and in his first summer restarted the Galácticos policy. He bought Kaká to the club, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo for a then-world record transfer fee, and Karim Benzema, a talented rising star from Ligue 1. In domestic competitions, Real was challenged by a Barcelona team led by Pep Guardiola and an Atlético de Madrid team led by Diego Simeone. Real was coached by managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. Over the course of nine seasons from 2013 to 2022, Real won five Champions League titles. His business acumen, honed through his career in civil engineering and construction, has been pivotal in ensuring the club's financial health and commercial success. Despite occasional criticism for his management style and decisions, Pérez's impact on Real Madrid and football at large is undeniable. He has helped shape an era where football is as much about spectacle and storytelling as it is about the sport itself, making "Papa Pérez" a nickname that denotes both affection and respect in the football community.[1]

2. Amancio Ortega (b. 1936)

With an HPI of 70.28, Amancio Ortega is the 2nd most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 51 different languages.

Amancio Ortega Gaona (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈmanθjo oɾˈteɣa ɣaˈona]; born 28 March 1936) is a Spanish billionaire businessman. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group, best known for its chain of Zara and Bershka clothing and accessories shops. He is considered a pioneer in fast fashion. As of November 2023, Ortega had a net worth of $73 billion, making him the third-wealthiest person in Europe after Bernard Arnault and Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, and the 14th-wealthiest in the world. For a brief period of time in 2015, he was the richest man in the world, surpassing Bill Gates when his net worth peaked to $80 billion as Zara's parent company, Inditex's, stock peaked.He is the head of the Ortega family and the second wealthiest retailer in the world.

3. Eusebi Güell (1846 - 1918)

With an HPI of 62.35, Eusebi Güell is the 3rd most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi, 1st Count of Güell (Catalan pronunciation: [əwˈzɛβi ˈɣweʎ]; 15 December 1846 – 8 July 1918) was a Catalan entrepreneur who profited greatly from the industrial revolution in Catalonia in the late 19th century. He married Luisa Isabel Lopez y Bru, daughter of Antonio López y López, 1st Marquis of Comillas and notorious slave trader, in 1871, and the couple had ten children. One of Güell's daughters, Isabel Güell i López, became a noted composer.

4. Joan Laporta (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 61.29, Joan Laporta is the 4th most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Joan Laporta Estruch (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈan ləˈpɔɾtə əsˈtɾuk]; born 29 June 1963) is a Spanish politician and current president of FC Barcelona. Laporta is a lawyer (he graduated from the University of Barcelona) with his own firm, Laporta & Arbós, which has a number of notable Catalan firms as clients. He served as MP in the Parliament of Catalonia between 2010 and 2012. During his first tenure as president of FC Barcelona, they set a new record for trophies won in a 12-month period, winning 6 in 2009. After departing in 2010, he was re-elected as club president in 2021. During Laporta's reign as club president the sports sections of FC Barcelona have won over 92 official trophies as of 2023.

5. Lorenzo Sanz (1943 - 2020)

With an HPI of 58.80, Lorenzo Sanz is the 5th most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Lorenzo Sanz Mancebo (9 August 1943 – 21 March 2020) was a Spanish businessman who was the 14th President of Real Madrid and a former owner of Málaga CF.

6. Rosalía Mera (1944 - 2013)

With an HPI of 56.64, Rosalía Mera is the 6th most famous Spanish Businessperson. Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Rosalía Mera Goyenechea (28 January 1944 – 15 August 2013) was a Spanish businesswoman and entrepreneur. At the time of her death, she was the richest woman in Spain and the world's richest self-made woman. In 1975, she co-founded the Zara retail chain with her then-husband Amancio Ortega Gaona. The company grew to become the world's largest fashion retailer.

7. Josep Lluís Núñez (1931 - 2018)

With an HPI of 56.17, Josep Lluís Núñez is the 7th most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

José Luis Núñez Clemente (7 September 1931 – 3 December 2018), often known by the Catalanized form of his name used by the Catalan press, Josep Lluís Núñez i Clemente, was president of FC Barcelona between 1978 and 2000. He was elected club president, despite having no previous connection with the club. His main objectives were to establish Barça as a world class sports club and to give the club financial stability.Núñez and his wife, Maria Lluïsa Navarro, once owned the Núñez i Navarro construction company and the Núñez i Navarro Hotel chain.

8. Josep Maria Bartomeu (b. 1963)

With an HPI of 56.05, Josep Maria Bartomeu is the 8th most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Josep Maria Bartomeu Floreta (born 6 February 1963) is a Spanish entrepreneur and former president of FC Barcelona. He started his presidency in 2014, following the resignation of Sandro Rosell; he held the post until his resignation in 2020. He was replaced by interim FC Barcelona president Carlos Tusquets, and afterwards by election winner Joan Laporta.

9. Ramón Calderón (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 55.44, Ramón Calderón is the 9th most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

José Ramón Calderón Ramos (born 26 May 1951) is a Spanish lawyer who is the former President of Real Madrid. He got his Law Degree in the University of Navarra, Spain in 1974 and he worked in London, England, as a lawyer, in 1975 and 1976. A member of the Madrid Bar Association since 1976, Calderón opened his Law Firm: Calderon Abogados, where he has been working during the last 40 years.

10. Joseph Oller (1839 - 1922)

With an HPI of 54.49, Joseph Oller is the 10th most famous Spanish Businessperson. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Josep Oller i Roca (1839–1922) was a Spanish entrepreneur who lived in Paris for most of his life. He co-founded the famous cabaret Moulin Rouge with Charles Zidler and was the inventor of parimutuel betting.

People

Pantheon has 16 people classified as Spanish businesspeople born between 1795 and 1982. Of these 16, 8 (50.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Spanish businesspeople include Florentino Pérez, Amancio Ortega, and Joan Laporta. The most famous deceased Spanish businesspeople include Eusebi Güell, Lorenzo Sanz, and Rosalía Mera. As of April 2024, 1 new Spanish businesspeople have been added to Pantheon including María Sefidari.