Juan Carlos Escotet
Juan Carlos Escotet Rodríguez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Madrid, Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Known for | Founder of Banesco; CEO and majority owner of Abanca; president of Deportivo de La Coruña |
Juan Carlos Escotet Rodríguez (born 1959) is a Spanish-Venezuelan billionaire entrepreneur in banking and the founder of Banesco, which stands as Venezuela's largest privately owned financial institution. He holds the position of CEO and owns 80% of the shares in the Spanish bank Abanca. Additionally, he serves as president of the Spanish football club Deportivo de La Coruña. As of July 2025, his estimated net worth amounts to US$7.8 billion.
Early life
Escotet was born in Madrid in 1959 into a family of Spanish immigrants, one of eight siblings. While attending night classes, he started his career at Banco Union in Venezuela in 1976. He later obtained a master's degree in professional management science from the University of Miami School of Business.
Career
Following completion of his MBA, Escotet held an executive role at Sociedad Financiera Latinoamericana before launching his own financial enterprise. During the 1990s, he expanded by acquiring Venezuelan banks amid a period of financial instability and extended his operations to Panama. He established Banesco, which grew to become the leading private bank in Venezuela; Banco Union was integrated into Banesco in 2000. His banking network now encompasses branches across Miami, Panama, Colombia, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
In 2015, Escotet purchased Spain's NCG Banco and transformed it into what is now known as Abanca.
Personal life
Residing in A Coruña, Spain, Escotet is married and has four children.