Ortega vs Ballmer

Inditex and Microsoft.

The differences

Forbes puts Steve Ballmer about $23.1B ahead of Amancio Ortega.Forbes figures from 15 Oct 2026 and 6 Oct 2026.
Amancio Ortega: founded it. Steve Ballmer: built it up.
Amancio Ortega is about 20 years older than Steve Ballmer.
Amancio Ortega is from Spain; Steve Ballmer is from United States.

Put someone else on either side

Ortega

Ballmer

Net worth, Forbes: $142BForbes, 6 Oct 2026; $165BForbes, 15 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $126BBloomberg, 9 Oct 2026; $185BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 10Annual list, 1 Mar 2026; No. 9Real-Time list, 15 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: 2001First year on a Forbes billionaires list: Forbes says he took Inditex public in 2001 and 'debuted on the Forbes billionaires list the same year' (No. 43, $6.6 billion); Not stated

How it started: Founded itInditex calls him its founder: he started a clothing workshop in 1963, opened the first Zara in 1975, and Inditex was formed as its parent in 1985. Forbes says he co-founded Inditex with his ex-wife Rosalía Mera (d. 2013); Built it upNeither founder nor heir: he joined Microsoft in 1980 as employee No. 30 and first business manager, and was CEO 2000-2014; Forbes counts him as self-made
Main source: Inditex stock, held through Pontegadea Inversiones and PartlerBloomberg: 'The majority of Amancio Ortega's fortune is derived from a 59.3% stake in Inditex'; he has received more than 9 billion euros in dividends since the 2001 IPO, much of it put into property; Microsoft stockBloomberg: 'The majority of Steve Ballmer's fortune is derived from a stake in Microsoft'
Companies: InditexInditex: Non-executive proprietary director; MicrosoftMicrosoft: None (shareholder)
Biggest stake: Inditex59.294% owned; MicrosoftStake not stated

Born: 28 Mar 1936Busdongo de Arbas, Spain; 24 Mar 1956Detroit, Michigan, United States
Country: SpainLives in A Coruña, Spain; United StatesLives in Hunts Point, Washington, United States
Education: No universityLeft school at 12 to work; Bachelor's degreeDegree in applied mathematics and economics, Harvard University; left Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1980 to join Microsoft
Parents: Born into a working family; began working in the textile trade at a very young ageParents' occupations not stated; Father was a manager at Ford Motor Co.Mother's occupation not in the cited sources

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Not a signer
Foundation: Fundación Amancio OrtegaCreated in 2001; works in education and social welfare; Ballmer GroupCo-founded with his wife Connie Ballmer in 2015; he also founded USAFacts
Lifetime giving: Not stated; $7.4BForbes, 14 Oct 2026. Forbes: 'the Ballmers have given away more than $7.4 billion' (Steve and Connie together)

Role now: On the boardNon-executive director of Inditex; chief executive of Pontegadea; No roleFormer Microsoft CEO and director; owner and chairman of the LA Clippers
Successor: His daughter Marta Ortega Pérez, non-executive chair of Inditex since April 1, 2022Óscar García Maceiras has been CEO since 2021; his wife Flora Pérez Marcote is also a director; Satya Nadella succeeded him as Microsoft CEO in February 2014No Ballmer family member is named in a Microsoft executive role
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: 2013: Supreme Court of SpainThe Supreme Court rejected his final appeal in a dispute with tax auditors, leaving him to pay 33 million euros in back taxes for 2001 to 2003.; None found