El Juli Biography: Children, Height, Ethnicity, Bull Fights, Net Worth, Parents, Age, Wife, Religion, Awards

Julián López Escobar, famously known as El Juli, is a legendary Spanish matador who is widely regarded as one of the most technically proficient and influential figures in the history of bullfighting.

A true child prodigy of the ring, he captivated the world by becoming the youngest professional matador at the age of fifteen, earning a reputation for his immense bravery and masterful control.

Throughout a career spanning over two decades, El Juli dominated the escalafón (rankings) and performed in the world’s most prestigious plazas, leaving an indelible mark on Hispanic culture before his formal retirement from the bullring in late 2023.

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Julián López Escobar
• Stage Name: El Juli
• Born: October 3, 1982
• Age: 43 years old
• Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
• Nationality: Spanish
• Occupation: Matador (Retired) and Cattle Rancher
• Height: 1.73m
• Parents: Julián López, Manuela Escobar
• Siblings: Ignacio López Escobar, Manuela López Escobar
• Spouse: Rosario Domecq Márquez (m. 2007)
• Children: Rosario López Domecq, Julián López Domecq, Isabel López Domecq
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $25 million

Early Life and Education

Julián López Escobar was born on October 3, 1982, in Madrid, Spain.

His father, Julián López, was a former novillero and banderillero, while his mother, Manuela Escobar, came from a family of modest bullring businessmen, ensuring that the art of tauromachy was part of his life from infancy.

Alongside his two older siblings, Ignacio and Manuela, he grew up in a household where his passion for the ring was nurtured.

While his formal schooling was concentrated on his specialized training as a bullfighter — eventually moving to Mexico as a teenager to bypass Spanish age restrictions for professional debuts — he remains a highly respected figure in Spanish society.

Proud of his Spanish-Castilian ethnicity, he is a practicing Roman Catholic.

Career

Julián López Escobar began his career as a sensation, debuting as a becerrista in France at age twelve and quickly moving to Mexico to perform with picadors because he was too young to do so legally in Spain.

His talent was so extraordinary that he took his alternativa (graduation to senior matador) in Nîmes, France, on September 18, 1998, at only fifteen years and eleven months old.

This feat made him the youngest professional matador in history, and by the age of seventeen, his immense popularity had already made him the highest-paid bullfighter in the world.

During the peak of his career, El Juli became a dominant force in the bullfighting world, topping the annual rankings multiple times in 1999, 2000, and 2002.

He was celebrated for his versatility and technical mastery, particularly with the muleta, and for inventing his own passes such as the “Lopecina.”

Over the years, he triumphed in major plazas from Las Ventas in Madrid to the Plaza México, surviving several “grave” gorings that only seemed to solidify his status as a resilient and fearless icon of the sport.

In his more recent years, El Juli focused on mentoring the next generation of toreros through his own bullfighting school and managed his successful livestock estates.

After twenty-five years at the summit of the profession, he officially retired in October 2023 with final performances in Seville and Madrid, exiting as a “figure of the era.”

His legacy is defined by a rare combination of early-career athleticism and late-career artistry, ensuring his name remains synonymous with the golden standards of 21st-century bullfighting.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @eljuli_oficial
• Facebook Handle: @eljulifans
• Twitter Handle: @el_juli

Personal Life

Julián López Escobar, who entered the world on October 3, 1982, is currently 43 years old and enjoys a stable and deeply rooted family life.

He has been married to Rosario Domecq Márquez, a member of the prestigious Domecq sherry and livestock dynasty, since their high-profile wedding at the Convent of Santo Domingo in Jerez de la Frontera in October 2007.

The couple are proud parents to fraternal twins, Rosario and Julián, and a younger daughter named Isabel.

Outside the intensity of the bullring, he is an avid sportsman who enjoys golf and soccer, and spends much of his time managing his country estate, “Feligrés,” where he breeds fighting bulls and lives closely connected to the Spanish countryside.

Net Worth

Julián López Escobar has an estimated net worth of $25 million.

This substantial wealth was primarily amassed during his prime years as the world’s highest-paid matador, where he commanded record-breaking fees for his appearances in Spain, France, and Latin America.

Beyond his earnings in the ring, his financial portfolio is bolstered by his extensive investments in real estate and his successful enterprise as a breeder of toros bravos (fighting bulls).