Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Swedish home furnishing brand IKEA, has passed away at 91. The man, who tactfully turned a small-scale mail-order business (started on his family’s farm) into a furniture empire, breathed his last on January 27, 2018.
Kamprad, one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the 20th century, is survived by his four children – Mathias Kamprad, Peter Kamprad, Jonas Kamprad and Annika Kihlbom.
Born in 1926, Kamprad laid the foundation of IKEA at the young age of 17 in the year 1943. Under his leadership, IKEA launched its first stores in Switzerland and Canada in the 1970s and in the USA in 1985. The company today owns and operates 411 stores in 49 countries world over.
Despite not being in an operational role at IKEA since 1988, Kamprad contributed significantly to the growth of the company through his constant suggestions to the management. He transferred the operational control to Stichting INGKA Foundation in the year 1982. Later in 2013, he stepped down from the Inter IKEA Group’s board.
“His thought will continue to motivate and guide us in the time to come to create a better everyday life for the many people across the globe. IKEA will continue to admire his legacy,” said Jesper Brodin, CEO and President of IKEA Group.
