Juan March
Toronto Daily Star, August 21 1934
Juan March (1880-1962) was nicknamed "the Rockefeller of Spain". He was the primary financial backer of Generalissimo Francisco Franco and his Spanish Nationalists. During the time of the Spanish Republic, he was jailed before bribing a guard and escaping to Gibraltar. He regained his influence when Franco took power in 1939.
During the Second World War, the Allies paid him to keep Spain from joining the Axis. After the war, he was estimated to be the seventh-richest man in the world; he built up an extensive art collection, now valued at over $1 billion US. In 1955, he started the March Foundation to provide financial support for the arts, music, and social sciences. His heirs are now worth an estimated $5 billion US.
Created November 7, 2025.