Forbes: Loro Parque Founder Wolfgang Kiessling Richest in Tenerife
Forbes' '100 Richest Spaniards of 2025' list names Amancio Ortega as Spain's wealthiest, while Wolfgang Kiessling, owner of Loro Parque and Siam Park, is identified as Tenerife's richest with an estimated 450 million euros.
Forbes magazine, famous globally for its yearly lists of the wealthiest people, top companies, and most powerful leaders, has released its much-anticipated '100 Richest Spaniards of 2025' ranking. This new edition from the respected American business publication highlights the wealthiest individual in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. You've likely visited or heard of some of their businesses, as their properties are well-known and among the most iconic in the Canary Islands.
Across Spain, the list features a variety of entrepreneurs, from supermarket owners to major shareholders in banks and telecommunications firms. Amancio Ortega and his daughter Sandra Ortega once again lead the ranking. The founder of Inditex boasts a fortune of 109.9 billion euros, making him one of the world's richest people. Following them are Rafael del Pino Calvo-Sotelo, president of Ferrovial; Juan Roig, owner of Mercadona; and Juan Carlos Escotet, president of Abanca and a key shareholder in RC Deportivo de La Coruña.
To find the first of two Canary Islanders on the list, we need to go down to position 37. This is Eustasio López González, from Agüimes, Gran Canaria. He owns Lopesán Hoteles, the island's largest hotel chain, which also operates in the Caribbean and parts of Central Europe. López González has a fortune of 1.3 billion euros, an increase of 100 million from his 2024 ranking. The owner of these luxury resorts and family hotels is the wealthiest person in the Canary Islands for 2025.
The wealthiest person from Tenerife is Wolfgang Kiessling, the owner and creator of Loro Parque, Siam Park, and the Poema del Mar aquarium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Kiessling ranks 98th on the '100 Richest Spaniards' list. This German-born entrepreneur came to Tenerife by chance in the 1970s when his job brought him to Puerto de la Cruz. He fell in love with the town and decided to settle there with his wife.
Born on September 7, 1937, to German merchants, Kiessling is now 88 years old and remains one of Spain's most influential business leaders. Just two years ago, he was considered the richest person in the Canary Islands. He built his fortune by creating several leisure attractions that have become iconic across the archipelago. Forbes magazine estimates Kiessling's wealth at 450 million euros.
Kiessling built his empire on a business model that combines tourist entertainment with unique attractions, excellent facilities, research and development in animal conservation, and a global brand approach. It all started in 1972 when he opened Loro Parque, a zoo focused on birds, in Puerto de la Cruz. Fifty years on, this park is home to hundreds of animal species and has grown into one of the world's largest animal conservation centers, as well as a globally recognized Canarian brand. Its foundation has invested tens of millions of euros in research and worldwide species protection projects, and it collaborates with universities in various countries.
His expansion continued in 2008 with the opening of Siam Park in southern Tenerife. For several years in a row, experts ranked it as the world's best water park. This success transformed how the Canary Islands were seen, evolving from just a sun-and-beach spot to a top-tier leisure destination.
The most recent major addition came in 2017 when Kiessling opened the Poema del Mar aquarium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This facility was designed to be a key tourist attraction for the city's port. At its opening, its curved acrylic screen was the largest of its kind globally. Today, Poema del Mar is a major draw for visitors to Gran Canaria, reinforcing Kiessling's strategy of creating 'great tourist icons' across the islands.
The Kiessling group has also acquired and renovated hotels, integrating them into its business empire. This year, the entrepreneur purchased Hotel Botánico with plans to revitalize it and make it another gem of Tenerife. This is positive for the islanders, as his parks and leisure facilities provide many Canarians with direct or indirect employment.
Moreover, many in the tourism industry see Kiessling as crucial to promoting the Canary Islands' leisure offerings internationally. Tenerife's wealthiest man plans to continue investing and innovating in the archipelago throughout his life.