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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.
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