Mega rich founder of Spain's fashion giant Zara buys 49% of British group PD Ports
The UK company contributes around 1.4 billion pounds annually to the economy of the Teesside area in the north of England, with 22,000 jobs in the supply chain and direct employment for more than 1,400 people at 11 sites in the UK
C.P.S.
Madrid
Wednesday, 23 July 2025, 15:32
The founder and largest shareholder of Inditex (owner of brands such as Zara, Pull&Bear and Massimo Dutti, among others) - Amancio Ortega - is accelerating the activity of his investment company Pontegadea. The firm has just closed the purchase of 49% of the British port and logistics group PD Ports from the Canadian fund Brookfield Asset Management, in a transaction that has yet to receive regulatory approvals and for which the amount has not been disclosed.
"We look forward to working with our new shareholder to drive the continued growth of our business," said Brookfield Asset Management. PD Ports contributes 1.4 billion pounds annually to the economy of the Teesside area of England, with 22,000 jobs in the supply chain and direct employment for more than 1,400 people at 11 sites in the UK.
Inditex was a surprise player in a deal that had been on the table for months, especially since the second largest port group in the country - Peel Ports - dropped out. However, Ortega's offer for 100% of the capital was rejected by Brookfield, hence the 49% share.
Movements
Pontegadea's investment activity has been hectic in recent weeks, with negotiations to also acquire the Sabadell Financial Center, where Banco Sabadell's Miami offices are located, from KKR and Parkway for 275 million dollars.
Specifically, Pontegadea is in negotiations to acquire this 30-storey office tower, which is located at 1111 Brickell Avenue. If the deal is completed, this purchase would become the largest office sale so far this year in South Florida.
The founder of Inditex also recently acquired a hotel in Paris for 97 million euros from the Spanish chain Derby Hoteles. The hotel is located in a historic building in the centre of the French capital. It was acquired by Derby Hotels in 2007 for 75 million euros.
He also recently closed the purchase of an office building in Barcelona - Grupo Planeta's headquarters - from Blackstone for 284 million dollars, which would make it Ortega's biggest acquisition in Spain since Torre Foster in 2016 for 490 million dollars.
