The creator of IKEA, Theodor Ingvar Kamprad, is one of the most famous Swedish entrepreneurs. He founded perhaps the world's largest chain of stores that sell household goods. At one time he was one of the richest people in the world. He conquered the market with his approach, selling the cheapest and most environmentally friendly products.
Biography of a businessman
The creator of IKEA Kamprad was born in 1926. He was born in the small Swedish town of Pietterude. As a child, he tried to earn a living on his own. Obviously, his parents instilled a craving for entrepreneurship.
The creator of IKEA began by selling matches to neighbors. So he earned his first money on his own. While studying at school, Kamprad discovered that matches can be purchased in large wholesale quantities in Stockholm, and then sold at a low price at retail, while having high profits.
When the creator of IKEA Kamprad became older, he concentrated on selling fish. Then he was engaged in a business related to Christmas decorations, ballpoint pens, seeds and pencils.
Foundation of IKEA
The creator of IKEA, whose biography is given in this article, founded his own enterprise, which became one of the most popular and successful in the world when he was only 17 years old. He put in the money he received from his father as a gift.
The name IKEA was not chosen by chance. This is an acronym, that is, a kind of abbreviation, which is formed by the initial sounds. He compiled the name of the company from his own initials IK (Ingvar Kamprad), took the letter E from the name of the family company Elmtaryd, and also used the name of the village Agunnaryd, which was located nearby.
Furniture in packaging
The creators of IKEA as an example of a leader in the manufacture of furniture and household goods began to lead in the very near future after the start of its production. The very idea that it is possible to produce furniture in flat boxes came to him back in the 50s. This happened all of a sudden when he noticed how one of his subordinates unscrewed the legs near the table in order to fit him into the small car of the buyer.
A certain imprint on the entire business of the creator of IKEA, the photo of which is in this article, left a disease with which he suffered. This is dyslexia, a violation of the ability to learn to write and read, while maintaining a general ability to learn. Kamprad primarily suffered from problems with writing. As a result, many product names, sounding in the Swedish manner, appeared solely due to the fact that Kamprad himself was not able to remember the numerical articles.
Participation in the Nazi group
Definitely a black spot in the biography of Kamprad was his participation in a nationalist group called the New Swedish Movement. This became known after in 1994 the personal letters of the Swedish fascist and public activist Pehr Engdahl became public and public.
From them it followed that the creator of IKEA was a Nazi. Kamprad has been a member of the Novoshvedsky movement since 1942. At least until September 1945, he actively participated in raising funds for his group, and also recruited new members and supporters.
Now it is no longer possible to establish reliably when he left the group, it is only known that until the beginning of the 50s they remained close friends with Engdahl, constantly maintained contacts and corresponded. In addition, it became known that Kamprad was also a member of the Nazi party called the "Swedish Socialist Assembly." Such data was released by the national security service.
Charity money
Kamprad did not deny his participation in the Nazi movement. After the media talked about his membership in the Swedish Nazi party, he promised to send 100 million euros to charity.
Kamprad became a member of the Nazi organization when he was only 17 years old, then he attracted new members to its ranks. He frankly spoke about these pages of his biography in his book “There is an Idea: The History of IKEA”. He devoted two chapters to the Nazi movement. In 1994, he wrote an open letter addressed to the employees of his company, in which he admitted that the connection with the Nazis was the biggest and annoying mistake in his life.
At the same time, in connection with some specific people, he does not regret this participation, which was also repeatedly stated by the businessman. For example, in 2010, in a large interview with the writer and journalist Elizabeth Osbrink, he announced that he still considers fascist Per Engdahl a great man, and will remain with this opinion until his death.
Kamprad founded a charity foundation in the Netherlands, he was its chairman until his death. The fund has actually become the parent company of all IKEA stores.
According to analysts, the fund is considered one of the richest in the world, its assets reach $ 36 billion, it is one of the most financially influential charitable organizations.
Pathological frugality
Over the years, Kamprad has remained one of the richest people in the world. The creator of IKEA was often an example for an essay, having managed to create such a successful company almost single-handedly.
In 1973, he became so rich that he could afford to leave Sweden for Switzerland, where he settled in the small town of Epalenge. For several decades after that, he was officially recognized as the richest resident of Switzerland.
Kamprad returned to Sweden in 2014. As it turned out, he left his native country in protest against the high taxes established by the government. He agreed to return only after the death of his wife in order to stay closer to his family.
With all its wealth, Kamprad was distinguished by pathological frugality. For example, in an interview, he often said that the car he has been driving for 15 years has been flying exclusively on economy planes, and he always requires his employees to use paper on both sides, and he always does that.
Therefore, it is not surprising that all the furniture in his house is from his own shops, with the exception of the grandfather clock and the old armchair. Kamprad himself often said that he had been using it for more than thirty years. His wife persuades him to change the chair, but it suits him in everything, except that the material itself is dirty.
In January 2018, the creator of IKEA died in his house, located in the Swedish province of Smoland. He was 91 years old.
Kamprad State
In 2010, the state of Kamprad was estimated at 23 billion dollars. At that time, this provided him with 11th place in the list of rich people, which is regularly composed by Forbes magazine. The very next year, the publication estimated the condition of the Swedish businessman at only six billion dollars, saying that he became the main loser of 2011 throughout the world.
According to the results of 2012, the reputable Bloomberg agency sent Kamprad to fifth place among the richest people on Earth. Analysts estimated his fortune at $ 42.9 billion. But according to Forbes, he had significantly less money at his disposal - only about three billion dollars. Therefore, according to the magazine, he occupied only 377 place in the list of world billionaires.
There is no reliable information about his condition for a later period.
Personal life
The first time Kamprad married in 1950, when he was only 24 years old. His chosen one was Kerstin Wadling. They lived together for ten years, in 1960 their marriage broke up. Together they raised an adopted daughter named Annika.
In 1963, Kamprad married a second time. His wife's name was Margaret Stennert. They had three sons, Yunas, Peter and Matias.
Kamprada Company
IKEA is now registered in the Netherlands, although initially it has Swedish roots. The company, owned by Kamprad for many years, carried out an internal resale of its own brand for $ 11 billion in 2012. Moreover, the company from Liechtenstein, controlled by Ingvar himself, acted as a seller. The buyer at the same time was a subsidiary of IKEA itself, registered in the Netherlands.
The transaction was carried out in order to simplify the structures existing within the business group, as well as to carry out global consolidation. The press noted that after this transaction, the IKEA brand acquired a very specific and very high cost.
The company's activities are based on the sale of furniture and design, as well as the sale of related products for the home. Its products are designed for the mass consumer. The concept of IKEA products is that most of the furniture assortment customers have to independently assemble at home. The goods themselves are sold and transported in flat boxes, while lowering the cost of service and logistics.