Name: Ingvar Kamprad
Date of Birth: March 3, 1926 (Pisces)
Net worth: $54 billion
Most of the world is unaware of the interesting and different story of the fifth richest man in the world, the founder of Ikea. All because Ingvar Kamprad has no desire for prominence and despite having one of the largest fortunes in the world, he leads a simple and austere lifestyle. He does not like luxuries and values humility, even going so far as to use public transportation on occasion.
Biography
Kamprad was born in Sweden in 1926 and grew up on a farm called Elmtaryd near a town called Agunaryd. At the age of 17, in 1943, Kamprad created the famous IKEA chain. The name (IKEA) is due to the initials of his first and last name, and the initials of the farm and the town where he grew up.
The money to create his company was given to him by his father for the success in his studies. Kamprad, who at the age of seven was already selling matches to his neighbors, realized that he could buy cheaper wholesale items and later sell them for a higher but cheap price. In this way he was expanding his business and selling seeds, postcards, decorations for Christmas trees, and later, pens and ballpoint pens.
The appearance of the first IKEA advertisement was only when Kamprad was 19 years old and at the age of 22 IKEA started selling furniture. When he was already 25, they published the first furniture catalog.
In 1953 Kamprad organized the first product exhibition and it was so successful that other sellers in Sweden began to put pressure on the manufacturers to stop supplying products to IKEA, since they could sell quality products at lower prices.
Three years later, furniture design for flat packs and self-assembly begins, which now forms an inescapable part of the IKEA concept. The first store in Sweden is opened in 1958, and two years later the first restaurant is opened.
From 1958 to 1985 IKEA began to expand in Europe in an incredible way and in 1985 it finally arrived in the United States.
Curiosities of Ingvar Kamprad
-The billionaire travels by public transport, in addition to staying in very cheap hotels.
– He still uses his Volvo 240 gl, which is over 20 years old.
-In Sweden they have a saying that is, Per-Albin Hasson (social democratic leader of the country in the middle of the 20th century) was the one who built the home for the people, but it was Ingvar Kamprad who furnished it.
– Buy the wrapping paper and Christmas gifts in the January sales.
-A great link was found between Kamprad and the Nazi groups, which he considers the biggest mistake of his life, along with having been an alcoholic.
Ingvar Kamprad Quotes
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Only those who are asleep do not make mistakes. Making mistakes is the privilege of assets. It’s always the mediocre people who are negative, who spend their time proving they weren’t wrong.
-Time is your most important resource. You can do so much in ten minutes. Ten minutes, once past, are gone forever. Ten minutes is not just one sixth of an hour. Divide your life into units of ten minutes and waste as few as possible on meaningless activities.
-I could travel regularly in first class, but having a lot of money does not seem like a good reason to waste it. Why choose the first class? So that the stewardess gives me a glass of champagne? If she would help me get to my destination faster, then maybe.
– Simplicity and common sense should be the basis of strategic planning and direction. If good leadership exists, it consists in setting an example. I have to do it for all IKEA employees.
-Most things are yet to be done. The feeling of having finished something is a very powerful sleeping pill. A person who retires thinking that he has done his part quickly withers away. A company that feels it has achieved its goals quickly stagnates and loses its vitality.
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