Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Net Worth 2024

What is Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen’s net worth?

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen is a Danish businessman who has a net worth is $6 billion. That fortune makes him one of many richest people in Denmark. He has at instances been the richest individual in Denmark, however in recent times Kristiansen’s fortune has been eclipsed by Anders Holch Povlsen and Neils Louis-Hansen.

After a family rearrangement in 2011, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was left as proprietor of 51% of LEGO. Other family members and the family charitable group, The Lego Foundation, personal the remaining 49%.

Early Life

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was born on December 27, 1947 in Billund, Denmark. Hegrew up working within the family enterprise, LEGO. His grandfather, carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen, based the corporate 15 years earlier than Kjeld’s delivery, in 1932.

As a toddler, Kjeld was usually the one who examined out new LEGO concepts and decided whether or not directions had been comprehensible. He additionally modeled for the corporate’s packaging.

Education

Kjeld attended Aarhus University the place he finally earned a level in enterprise. He then earned an MBA from IMD enterprise faculty in Switzerland, graduating in 1972.

Career

Two years after incomes his MBA, Kristiansen joined the family enterprise, changing into a member of the corporate’s board of administrators. He wasn’t only a passively accumulating salaries and dividends. Kristiansen personally developed the primary miniature LEGO collectible figurines that finally grew to become iconic. LEGO miniature figures debuted in 1978 and shortly grew to become huge international sellers.

Over the following twenty years beneath Kristiansen’s management LEGO expanded quickly. In the Nineties, the corporate started opening theme parks and licensing branding rights from different IP holders like Star Wars. In 1999 this IP enlargement resulted within the first Star Wars-themed LEGO set, which grew to become a large success and led to many extra related partnerships.

In 1996 Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen grew to become the chairman of the family’s funding firm, Krikbi, which controls the family’s 75% stake in Lego. The different 25% is owned by The Lego Foundation, the family’s philanthropic arm.

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Unfortunately, the following decade was much less fruitful. In the early 2000s the corporate was truly dropping cash due to rising competitors from corporations like Hasbro. Under Kristiansen’s path, LEGO laid-off greater than 1,000 staff and lower a number of product strains. In 2004 he stepped down from the highest spot on the firm, after the agency misplaced $330 million within the earlier yr. He put in his son Thomas in his place. To shore-up funds, the next yr LEGO bought a 70% stake in its theme park enterprise to personal fairness big Blackstone for $457 million.

Fortnite Investment

In April 2022 Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen led a $1 billion funding on behalf of the family’s funding agency Kirkbi into the sport firm Epic Games, maker of Fortnite. At the identical time, Sony additionally invested $1 billion. The funding spherical valued Epic at $31.5 billion. Part of the purpose of the funding from each Kirkbi and Sony was to finally create digital worlds, digital avatars and digital items in a child-friendly metaverse.

Personal Life

LEGO Group has acquired various awards, together with The Freedom Prize and The Distinguished Family Business Award from Switzerland, the Moran insignia of the Order of Civil Merit from South Korea.

In 2008, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. His grandfather and father had been already members. He has three youngsters and continues to reside in Denmark.