- Large companies in the Spanish State have taken economic advantage of the crisis; in addition to opening a temporary ere (ERTE) to the workers, they have invested in the stock exchange. Since the beginning of the pandemic, EUR 110 million has been invested in the stock exchange, of which about half of the money is from the Riberas family, which owns the companies Gonvarri and Gestamp.
In the midst of the collapse of the market and the economy, entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the opportunities they offer so that they do not lose their assets. Removing the cost of workers' salaries from the top, many have chosen to do "self-shopping"; they have bought shares from companies with other companies on their behalf so that the stock market price does not fall.
Riberas is a clear example of this. According to El Mundo, the sixth richest household in Spain, after putting the 6,000 workers of its company, Gestamp, has spent EUR 54.5 million on the purchase of business shares from other companies. In addition, he also acquired shares from Telefónica of his company Halekulani.
There are Basque entrepreneurs among investors. The Egaña family has spent EUR 6.7 million in the company CIE Automotive (also in the UTE), 10% of the company's shares. 15% of the owners of this company also own the company, Riberasti.