No.12 - FLORENTINO PEREZ (ACS)

Age: 71

Years at current company: 21

Nationality: Spanish

Industry: Civil engineering

Turnover: $38.8bn

Rate of growth: 14.7% over the last five years

A household name in the world of football, after studying engineering at third level, Florentino Perez had a less than successful career as a politician which, after one defeat at the ballot box, he left behind for the construction business, becoming head of Spain’s number one infrastructure company, ACS, in 1997. Reputed for a willingness to borrow big and take onboard colossal debt, he has made his fortune on several major construction projects in Madrid.     

Notable success: Florentino Perez is above all known for twice having been president of Real Madrid football club, first from 2000 to 2006 and then since 2009. His ‘galacticos’ policy of attracting the biggest stars in their prime, has seen Real break the world transfer record numerous times since the turn of the century and brought in players such as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.