José María Ruiz-Mateos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids José María Ruiz-Mateos y Jiménez de Tejada |
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| Marquis of Olivara Lord of Tejada |
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| Born | 11 April 1931 Rota |
| Died | 7 September 2015 (aged 84) El Puerto de Santa María |
José María Ruiz-Mateos y Jiménez de Tejada (born April 11, 1931 – died September 7, 2015) was a Spanish businessman and politician. He was known for creating a large business group called Rumasa. Later, he also became involved in politics.
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Early Life and Business
José María Ruiz-Mateos started his career by selling wine to England. His family made sherry wine. In 1964, he signed a big deal to supply wine to a company called John Harvey & Sons.
To meet this demand, he bought more wineries. His main wine company was Bodegas Internacionales. This helped him grow his business significantly.
The Rumasa Group
Ruiz-Mateos founded a large group of companies called Rumasa (which stands for Ruiz Mateos Sociedad Anónima). This group became very important in Spain. Rumasa owned many different businesses. These included banks, hotels, wineries, supermarkets, and even construction companies.
In 1983, the Spanish government took over Rumasa. The government, led by Felipe González, claimed that Rumasa had not paid its taxes. They also said the company was almost bankrupt. Ruiz-Mateos did not agree with this. He tried to get money from the government, but he lost in court.
Later Career and Politics
After facing legal issues, José María Ruiz-Mateos returned to public life. In 1991, he became the owner of the Rayo Vallecano football (soccer) team. He also started his own political party.
In 1989, he was elected to the European Parliament. This gave him special legal protection. He then started a new group of companies called New Rumasa. This new group employed about 16,000 people. Over the years, there were many court cases about the Rumasa situation. In 1999, the Spanish Supreme Court found him not guilty in some of these cases.
Ruiz-Mateos was also a member of a group called Opus Dei. However, he was asked to leave the group in 1986. He had 13 children, both sons and daughters.
In 2011, many companies within his New Rumasa group faced financial problems. They were unable to pay their debts. This happened almost 28 years after the original Rumasa group was taken over by the government.
The Ruiz-Mateos Foundation
The Ruiz-Mateos Foundation was started in 1978. It was created by the Ruiz-Mateos family. The main goal of the foundation is to support culture. It focuses on visual arts, music, and literature.
The foundation holds yearly competitions. It gives out a prize called "Villa de Rota" in art, music, and writing. The money for its art collection comes from competition fees and donations. The foundation's museum opened in 2005. It is located in an old family house built in 1865. The museum shows works by artists like Manuel Benitez Reyes, Wenceslao Robles, and Francisco Luque.
See also
In Spanish: José María Ruiz-Mateos para niños
