Alicante province continues to be represented by a single entrant on Forbes’ annual ranking of the country’s wealthiest, a list that this year again places its biggest shareholder in Inditex, Amancio Ortega, at the top. Ortega’s wealth rose by about 53 percent, and the Valencian Community sees eight of its residents on the list.
The autonomous region ranks fourth in Spain for the number of ultra-wealthy individuals, following Catalonia, which hosts all 29 listed names; Madrid, with 28; and Galicia, which has nine. Across the nation, the 100 richest Spaniards hold an estimated fortune of 196.13 billion euros, some figures climbing by roughly 37 percent compared with last year, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation.
Adolfo Utor returns to Forbes list of one hundred richest Spaniards with $300 million
Among Valencian representation, Alicante’s lone entry is Baleària’s owner, Adolfo Utor, listed with a fortune of 350 million euros. The rise of five places from the previous year, moving from 96 to 91, marks a notable ascent after a period where Utor’s position slipped in 2020 and 2021. The figure remains below the peak reached in 2019.
Forbes attributes this gain to stronger revenue and a solid performance by the shipping group in the last financial year, recording 563 million euros in revenue after a 42 percent increase. The period helped offset pandemic effects that had impacted tourism-linked enterprises.
Valencian Community
In the broader Valencian cohort, Juan Roig, Mercadona’s chairman and primary shareholder, holds the highest position among regional entrants, ranking fifth overall with an estimated fortune of 3.9 billion euros, a roughly 500 million euro increase from the prior edition.
The next Valencian on the list is his wife, Hortensia Herrero, who controls 27 percent of Mercadona. Herrero drops four places to fifteenth despite seeing her wealth grow by almost 300 million euros, reaching about 2.2 billion euros.
From China to fertility clinics
The Valencian slate also includes notable business figures such as Fernando Roig, founder of the Pamesa tile company, who ranks 28th with an estimated 1.3 billion euros. Antonio Pellicer, who founded the IVI fertility institute chain in Valencia and later saw its value impacted by the sale to the KKR fund, reaches a fortune of around 900 million euros. Asuncion Mazanet, a principal shareholder of Porcelanosa, sits at 66th with approximately 585 million euros.
Updates on these sectors highlight how industrial diversification in the region has buffered wealth creation against sector-specific downturns. The broader picture shows a mix of industrials, retail, and services maintaining Spain’s status as a country with a deep and varied business landscape.
The Forbes list also underscores broader regional dynamics, noting that a number of Valencian families have expanded their influence in national business circles. The presence of these figures helps illustrate the evolving balance of wealth across Spain and the important role of regional entrepreneurs in contemporary the economy.
Forbes List: Amancio Ortega’s rise among the world’s richest
Across the national panorama, it is also noted that Javier Gómez-Trenor and his family are among the top actors in the Coca-Cola Europe Pacific Partners network, valued at about 400 million euros. Vicente Boluda, chair of a leading shipowning group and president of the Valencian Businessmen’s Association, remains a principal figure on the list at position 95 with an estimated 350 million euros. Boluda’s fleet operations continue to be recognized as some of the world’s largest tugboat enterprises, a status that has helped sustain regional influence in diversified global markets.
These entries collectively illustrate the way local business leaders contribute to Spain’s overall economic profile, even as global markets continue to shift. The Forbes rankings offer a snapshot of regional strength, corporate strategy, and the capacity of Valencian stakeholders to navigate both domestic and international opportunities. This ongoing representation from the Valencian Community signals a broad base of entrepreneurial activity that feeds into the Spanish economy at large, even amid geopolitical and economic headwinds.