Madrid is mourning the loss of Juan Torres Piñón, a renowned civil engineer and co-founder of leading construction firm ACS, who died this week at the age of 89. The passing of Torres, a figure known for both his business acumen and complex personal life, has prompted reflection on his legacy – one interwoven with successes in both the corporate and art worlds, as well as a fraught family dynamic now laid bare by his son, architect joaquín Torres. The family is currently preparing for a funeral service while simultaneously navigating a contentious inheritance dispute.
“There is no ruin, or anything like it. What there is is an absolutely broken family,” architect Joaquín Torres confessed, deeply saddened, in a phone conversation. His father, Juan Torres Piñón, passed away a few days ago at the age of 89, after a long period of declining health. The architect noted his father possessed a remarkable mental fortitude that allowed him to endure years of chronic treatments.
Behind him lies a successful business life – that of a renowned civil engineer who met Florentino Pérez (eleven years his junior), with whom he co-founded the construction company ACS. A professor emeritus at IESE, once considered one of Europe’s leading business schools, he was a passionate art lover, serving as a patron of the Reina Sofía Museum and an honorary member of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, among other roles.
In recent times, he lived secluded in his lavish 3,000-square-meter mansion in the exclusive Las Encinas development on the outskirts of Madrid, designed by his son, Joaquín. “It was a reflection of what my father was – a constant need to demonstrate power, even if he wasn’t seeing anyone. He lacked for nothing; my siblings and I took turns living with him. I promised my mother I would take care of him until the end, and I did. Mom was loving to everyone, but Dad, with his character and ambition, generated terrible animosity. He was very complicated, very difficult.”
On Monday, family and friends gathered at the Tanatorio de Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, to say their final goodbyes to the businessman. Among those in attendance was Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. While the families were once closely linked, Torres hadn’t been in contact with his business partner since selling his stake in ACS.
“In recent days, he barely recognized family, but he did talk about Florentino. After twenty-five years of no contact, he always had a dependence on him, even if he was better in many ways. I dare say he was the most important person in his life, without a doubt. The truth is that other major construction companies have gone through several generations, but ACS was created in one generation, and that’s a great achievement. They were both intelligent, ambitious, and had a lot in common…”, Torres shared. He wishes to thank everyone for their condolences, especially the heartfelt messages from friends like Miquel Roca, the Oriol family, and the March family. He also announced that the family will organize a funeral in the coming days, allowing friends and family to pay their respects as his father would have wanted.
Florentino Pérez arriving at the funeral
Since suffering a serious traffic accident in December 2023, the architect’s life has felt like a horror movie, and he’s trying to find his way out, though he admits he’s running on empty. He’s undergone ten surgeries, endured the death of his mother, Joaquina, the sudden passing of his brother-in-law, and the serious illness of his sister-in-law, all on top of his separation from his husband, Raúl Prieto. “When you think nothing else can happen, something worse comes along. I’m exhausted, but I still feel fortunate. I’ve always had an easy life, but a lot of things have happened all at once. I need to prioritize myself, I want to surround myself with love, not hate, and right now I’m angry. I need to cleanse my soul. I wish my husband had stayed with me, even if we couldn’t have saved the marriage,” he lamented. The news comes amid a wave of high-profile separations in the Spanish entertainment world.
Regarding the family inheritance, Juan Torres previously explained to this publication the mistake he made in granting his brother Julio sole power of administration over all his companies. More than 40 companies, with a patrimonial value of over 400 million euros. “I don’t want to talk to or see Julio; he’s a fraud, and I trust justice, even if it’s slow,” he asserted after taking legal action.
However, following all the events of recent months, there’s been a shift in circumstances, and the family prefers to avoid further conflict and end this nightmare. “Beyond what my brother Julio stole, I don’t want to be litigating for years, nor do I want my brother to go to jail or leave Spain. I need to close that chapter. My mother’s death shattered my life, and I’ve had to deal with something I was never interested in – the family estate. The battle with my brother Julio has disrupted the lives of not only my mother but everyone,” the architect assures, hoping they can reach an out-of-court settlement.
