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Ingvar Kamprad: how IKEA's enigmatic founder became a billionaire

How Sweden's flatpack pioneer conquered the world
Humble origins
Work ethic
Farm life
Fascist affiliations
Biggest mistake
IKEA founded
Personal problems
A flatpack epiphany
Scandinavian expansion
IKEA heirs are born
Global growth
Nordic design
Frugal image
IKEA bible
Unstoppable growth
Booming times
Disputed wealth
Winding down
Soaring fortune
Inheritance drama and legacy
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TT News Agency/Alamy

How Sweden's flatpack pioneer conquered the world

IKEA's famously thrifty founder, Ingvar Kamprad, built up a global self-assembly furniture empire that has changed the way we shop. But though his business model may have been simple, the man behind it was complex and controversial. 

Read on to discover the inside story behind Ingvar Kamprad's remarkable rise to riches. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

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Daniel Coughlin

17 July 2025

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