Aug
19
Rosalia Mera
Filed Under EN
Rosalia Mera Goyenechea was born on January 28 1944 in a working–class
neighbourhood of La Coruña, and left school aged 11 to work as a sales
assistant in a clothing shop. In 1966 she married Amancio Ortega, the son of
a railway worker who had also dropped out of school, aged 13, to run errands
for a clothing shop.
As their business grew, however, their marriage came under strain. The couple
had a daughter, but a son was born mentally handicapped, and in 1983 Ortega
fathered another daughter with an Inditex employee. They divorced in 1986.
But Rosalia Mera remained Inditex’s second–largest shareholder, with a net
worth (this year) reported to be more than $6 billion. She invested in
businesses ranging from film, hotels and property to biotechnology and also
served as president of the Paideia Foundation, founded by her former husband
in 1986, which helps people with disabilities.
Despite her enormous wealth, Rosalia Mera remained a down–to–earth woman who
could be seen in La Coruña dancing salsa on Thursday nights, and singing
with friends at a local tavern on Fridays.
She died following a stroke.
Her children survive her.
Rosalia Mera, born January 28 1944, died August 15 2013
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