Ingvar Kamprad

Ingvar Kamprad was born in 1926 in Pjätteryd, Småland, Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad's background is described as Swedish; German grandmother. Growing up, the family was middle class — farming family on the Elmtaryd farm in rural Småland. Started IKEA at 17 with a cash gift from his father; built it into the world's largest furniture retailer.

Born

1926 · Pjätteryd, Småland, Sweden

Roots

Swedish; German grandmother

Family

Middle class

Farming family on the Elmtaryd farm in rural Småland.

Education

Commerce school in Gothenburg

Started with

Gift from father

A small cash reward for school grades funded IKEA's registration in 1943.

Affiliations & societies

New Swedish MovementDocumented

Wartime-era involvement with Per Engdahl's pro-fascist movement, revealed by letters in 1994; Kamprad apologized, calling it "the greatest mistake of my life."

Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1. 1931 · age 5
   Sells matches to neighbors

   Buys in bulk from Stockholm and resells; later fish, seeds, and pencils.

2. 1943 · age 17
   Founds IKEA

   Registers the company with money his father gave him as a reward for grades.

3. 1953 · age 27
   First furniture showroom

   In Älmhult, after years of mail-order sales.

4. 1956 · age 30
   Flat-pack

   Adopts self-assembly packaging after an employee removes a table's legs to fit it in a car.

5. 1958 · age 32
   First IKEA store opens
6. 1973 · age 47
   Leaves Sweden

   Moves abroad over taxes; ownership later shifts to a foundation structure.

7. 2018 · age 91
   Dies

   IKEA operates over 400 stores worldwide.