Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 9:28AM ET - U.S. Markets open in 2 mins..

World's Billionaires - #7

Wednesday, March 5, 2008provided by

© JEAN-BERNARD SEIBER/Reuters/Landov
Kamprad-Ingvar

Ingvar Kamprad & Family
Sweden
$31.0 bil

  • Peddled matches, fish, pens, Christmas cards and other items by bicycle as a teenager.
  • Started selling furniture in 1947.
  • Now, his company Ikea, which sells hip designs for the cost-conscious, is one of the most beloved retailers in the world, with an almost cultlike following.
  • Ikea now has stores in 40 countries, from Sunrise, Fla., to Guangzhou in China.
  • As egalitarian as his brand, Kamprad avoids wearing suits, flies economy class and frequents cheap restaurants.
  • Has been quoted as saying that his luxuries are the occasional nice cravat and Swedish fish roe.
  • Says his home is furnished mostly with his own Ikea products.
  • Last May was awarded the Global Economy Prize by the University of Kiel for his contributions to society.

Previous | Next

Back to Top 20 List

Copyrighted, Forbes.com. All rights reserved.

Rates

See today's average rates across the country.

More from Yahoo! Sources

  • CNN Money
  • Consumer Reports
  • Kiplinger
  • The Motley Fool
  • Business Week
  • Wall Street Journal

Historical chart data and daily updates provided by Commodity Systems, Inc. (CSI). International historical chart data and daily updates provided by Morningstar, Inc. Fundamental company data provided by Capital IQ. Quotes and other information supplied by independent providers identified on the Yahoo! Finance partner page. Quotes are updated automatically, but will be turned off after 25 minutes of inactivity. Quotes are delayed at least 15 minutes. Real-Time continuous streaming quotes are available through our premium service. You may turn streaming quotes on or off. All information provided "as is" for informational purposes only, not intended for trading purposes or advice. Neither Yahoo! nor any of independent providers is liable for any informational errors, incompleteness, or delays, or for any actions taken in reliance on information contained herein. By accessing the Yahoo! site, you agree not to redistribute the information found therein.

Yahoo! Answers is provided for informational purposes only, and no Q&A is intended for trading or investing purposes. Yahoo! shall not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, usefulness or availability of any Q&A information, and shall not be responsible or liable for any trading or investment decisions based on such information. View Complete Answers Disclaimer.