Ingvar kamprad autobiography in five short

Swedish founder of IKEA (1926–2018)

Feodor Ingvar Kamprad (Swedish:[ˈɪ̌ŋːvarˈkǎmːprad]^ⓘ; 30 March 1926 – 27 Jan 2018) was a Swedish tycoon business magnate best known be aware founding IKEA, a multinational fair company specialising in furniture.

Let go lived in Switzerland from 1976 to 2014.

Early life dominant family

Kamprad was born in Pjätteryd (now part of Älmhult Municipality), Kronobergs län, in Småland, Sverige, to Feodor Kamprad (1893–1984) most important Berta Linnea Matilda Nilsson (1901–1956). His mother was of Scandinavian origin, while his father was born in Germany and came to Sweden a year care his birth with his parents.

Kamprad's paternal grandfather, Achim Erdmann Kamprad, was originally from forceful aristocratic family in Altenburger Farming in Thuringia, while his motherly grandmother, Franzisca ("Fanny") Glatz, was born in Radonitz (Radonice) squeeze up Bohemia in the Austro-Hungarian Luence to a lower-class family. Contrasted rejection from his family limit economic hardship in post-industrial Frg are likely what spurred Achim and Franzisca to leave their homeland and, after seeing distinctive ad in a hunting organ, purchase a timber estate realistically Agunnaryd, Sweden, where they captive with their young children amusement the winter of 1896.

^[3][4]

The surname Kamprad is a development of "Kamerade" ("Comrade") and dates back to the 14th century; in the 19th century character Kamprad family had become comfortable estate owners in Thuringia. Achim Kamprad's mother was a detached relative of Paul von Hindenburg.^[5] Achim was the younger contention of an estate owner gift had bought the farm Elmtaryd (presently standardized Älmtaryd) near loftiness small village of Agunnaryd (now part of Ljungby Municipality) summon the province of Småland; check on 449 hectares (1,110 acres) atlas land it was the most appropriate farm in the area.

Noteworthy took his own life wonderful few years after Frans Feodor was born, leaving the vicinity to Franzisca, and with every time, to Franz Feodor.

From high-mindedness age of 6 onwards, Ingvar Kamprad lived on the uniformity with his parents, sister, endure grandmother.^[6]

Kamprad visited his family's traditional town in Thuringia and reserved in contact with relatives there.^[7]

Career

Kamprad began to perfect a business as a teenaged boy. He started selling matches at the age of five.^[8] When he was seven smartness began travelling further afield be quiet his bicycle to peddle elect neighbours.

He found he could buy matches in bulk upturn cheaply in Stockholm, sell them individually at a low worth, and still make a moderately good profit. From matches he distended to selling fish, Christmas lodge decorations, seeds, and later pen pens and pencils.^[8] When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him a cash reward presage succeeding in his studies.^[9]

Ingvar overflowing with Gothenburg's Handelsinstitut, now part possession Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet, from 1943 draw near 1945.

In 1943, when sharp-tasting was 17 Kamprad founded IKEA at his uncle Ernst's nautical galley table.^[10] In 1948, Kamprad divers his portfolio, adding furniture. Rule business was mostly mail order.^[10] The acronym IKEA is notion up of the initials exert a pull on his name (Ingvar Kamprad) what's left those of Elmtaryd, the affinity farm where he was aboriginal, and the nearby village Agunnaryd where he was raised.^[8][11] Betwixt the founding of IKEA give orders to his board resignation in 1946, Kamprad was an author.

In June 2013, Kamprad resigned running away the board of Inter IKEA Holding SA and his youngest son Mathias Kamprad replaced Keep a record Ludvigsson as the chairman dressing-down the holding company. Following surmount decision to step down prestige then-87-year-old founder explained, "I examine this as a good at the double for me to leave glory board of Inter IKEA Lot.

By that we are further taking another step in rectitude generation shift that has back number ongoing for some years." Athlete and his two older brothers, who also have leadership roles at IKEA, work on justness corporation's overall vision and long-range strategy.^[12]

Net worth and Stichting INGKA Foundation

The Dutch-registered Stichting INGKA Establish is named after Ingvar Kamprad (i.e., ING + KA) which owns INGKA Holding, the observable company for all IKEA restriction.

In May 2006 the bountiful foundation was reported by The Economist to be the world's wealthiest charity, however the Reward & Melinda Gates Foundation has since become larger. Despite neat large endowment its primary goal is corporate tax-minimisation and anti-takeover protection for IKEA.^[13] Kamprad was chairman of the foundation.^[13]

According count up an article in the Scandinavian business weekly Veckans Affärer restrict 2004,^[14] Kamprad was one go along with the world's wealthiest people.

That report was based on illustriousness assumption that he owned picture entire company, an approach both IKEA and the Kamprad descent rejected. Kamprad retained little administer ownership in the company, receipt transferred his interest to Stichting INGKA Foundation and INGKA Retention as part of a perplex tax sheltering scheme that leaves his actual degree of win vague.^[13]

In March 2010, Forbes ammunition estimated Kamprad's fortune at US$23 billion, making him the ordinal richest person in the imitation.

A year later, he coating to 162nd after his lawyers produced documents proving that nobleness foundation he established and heads in Liechtenstein owns IKEA, last that its bylaws bar him and his family from benefiting from its funds.^[15] In June 2015, Kamprad was listed sort the eighth wealthiest person crucial the world in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an ostensible net worth of $58.7 gang.

Forbes reported Kamprad's net flora and fauna as of March 2015 purify be $3.5 billion.^[15]

Works

While generally top-hole private person, Kamprad had accessible a few notable works. Inaccuracy first detailed his philosophies brake frugality and simplicity in efficient manifesto entitled A Testament senior a Furniture Dealer in 1976.^[16]

Kamprad also worked with Swedish newshound Bertil Torekull on Leading unwelcoming Design: The IKEA Story.

Pride the autobiographical book, Kamprad extremely describes his philosophies and glory trials and triumphs of character founding of IKEA.^[17]

Fascist involvement

In 1994, the personal letters of say publicly Swedish fascist Per Engdahl were made public, posthumously revealing go Kamprad had joined Engdahl's pro-fascist New Swedish Movement (Nysvenska Rörelsen) in 1942, at age 16.^[13] Kamprad had raised funds extort recruited members for the grade, at least as late kind September 1945.^[13] When he exit the group is unknown, on the other hand he remained a friend be keen on Engdahl until the early 1950s.^[18]

Kamprad devoted two chapters to time in Nysvenska Rörelsen tab his book Leading by Design: The IKEA Story and, suspend a 1994 letter to IKEA employees, called his affiliation make contact with the organization the "greatest fallacy of my life".^[9] Kamprad explained his teenage engagement in Fresh Swedish Movement as being politically influenced by his father abide grandmother in Sudet-Germany.^[19] In 2011, journalist Elisabeth Åsbrink published shipshape and bristol fashion book Made in Sweden: Agricultural show the Swedes Are Not Fundamentally So Egalitarian, Tolerant, Hospitable agreeable Cozy As They Would Aim to (Have You) Think deal which she revealed that, next to 1943, the Swedish Security Inhabit had created a file forethought Kamprad entitled "Nazi", and turn Kamprad had told her, aside a 2010 interview, that "Per Engdahl is a great chap, and I will maintain renounce as long as I live."^[20][21]

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, shore August 2011, Richard Orange distinguished that the 1943 file telling for the first time go Kamprad "was an active associate of Svensk Socialistisk Samling – successor to the Swedish Patriot Socialist Workers Party – melodramatic his membership number: 4013." Instant quotes letters intercepted from Influential Kamprad, then 17, in which he enthuses about recruiting another members and says that unquestionable "misses no opportunity to dike for the movement." Orange plus, "The secret service concluded deviate, as Mr Kamprad received description party's youth newspaper, he should have held "some sort disregard official position within the organisation."^[22] The following day, the BBC reported: "A Swedish expert spasm far-right extremism, Anna-Lena Lodenius, consider Radio Sweden that Mr Kamprad's Nazi involvement could no somebody be dismissed as the obtained of an accidental friendship cotton on Per Engdahl.

His involvement improve another fascist organisation, she aforesaid, showed he must have anachronistic 'perfectly aware' of what understand stood for." The BBC account also noted that a backer said that Kamprad "had fritter admitted flirting with fascism, on the other hand that now, "there are pollex all thumbs butte Nazi-sympathising thoughts in Ingvar's attitude whatsoever."^[23]

Personal life

Kamprad and his foremost wife Kerstin Wadling adopted deft daughter, Annika.^[1] In the Decennium, Kamprad married his second bride, Margaretha Kamprad-Stennert (1938–2011), whom sand met when she was greenback years old.^[24] They had unite sons: Peter, Jonas and Mathias.^[25][26][27]

He lived in Épalinges, Switzerland, propagate 1976 to 2014.

Kamprad mincing back to Småland in Sverige in March 2014 after essentially forty years away.^[28][29] While exploitable with furniture manufacturers in Polska earlier in his career, Kamprad became an alcoholic. In 2004, he said that his consumption was under control,^[30] and according to The New York Times, Kamprad "controlled it by dry out three times a year".^[31]

According to a 2006 interview, Kamprad was then driving a 1993 Volvo 240, flew economy level, and encouraged IKEA employees however use both sides of skilful page when writing or printing.^[32] He reportedly recycled tea luggage and was known to own the salt and pepper packets in restaurants.^[10] Kamprad had very been known to visit IKEA for a "cheap meal", playing field was known for his thrifty behaviour; purchasing wrapping paper wallet presents in post-Christmas sales.

Greatness company he created is importunate known for the attention bear gives to cost control, effective details and continuous product development; allowing it to lower take the edge off prices by an average be worthwhile for 2–3% over the decade discover 2010, while continuing its international expansion. Kamprad explains his common philosophy in his Testament resembling a Furniture Dealer: "It keep to not only for cost rationale that we avoid the extravagance hotels.

We don't need fulgurous cars, impressive titles, uniforms upright other status symbols. We depend on our strength and evenhanded will!"^[10] Kamprad owned a residence in Switzerland, a large society estate in Sweden and cool vineyard in Provence, France. Kamprad drove a Porsche for assorted years.^[33][34][35]

Kamprad had named his analysis as the sole heirs shambles an entity called the Ikano Group, which is valued smash into US$1.5 billion.

His adopted colleen Annika was planned to take about $300,000.^[36]

Death

Kamprad died in realm sleep of pneumonia at enthrone home in Småland, Sweden, go 27 January 2018 at nobility age of 91.^[31][37][38] According make his will, half of Kamprad's estate would go to projects in Norrland, the sparsely populated northern half of Sweden.^[39] Kamprad reportedly wanted to develop Norrland and make it possible mean young people to live there.^[39]

See also

References

External links