Kerry A. Dolan Forbes Staff Leadership
It was yet another record year for women on the new FORBES list of the World’s Billionaires. Of a total 1,826 billionaires, 197 are women, up from 172 in 2014. That’s a nice gain, but women still account for just a small percentage of the list — 11% of the total.
Sandra Ortega Mera is the daughter of the fourth-richest person in the world, Amancio Ortega, founder of clothing giant Inditex. She inherited her fortune from her mother Rosalia Mera, who died suddenly in August 2013. Sandra got 89% of Rosp Corunna, the holding company Mera used to invest her wealth. The organization supports vocational training for people with mental and physical disabilities and it advocates moving them into mainstream jobs. Sandra’s brother Marcos was born with cerebral palsy. She has a psychology degree from the Universidad de Santiago and lives a fiercely private life in the Galician town of La Coruña on the Atlantic coast with her husband and three kids.
17. Sandra Ortega Mera
Net worth: $6.5 billion
Age: 46
Source Of Wealth: Zara
Residence: La Coruna, Spain
Citizenship: Spain
Marital Status: Married
Children: 3
