Kjeld kirk kristiansen net worth 2017
These are the richest billionaires in 18 European countries
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Europe's wealthiest individuals are a mixed group.
Some of them hold fortunes derived from centuries-old dynasties, while others are hard-nosed entrepreneurs who scrabbled up from humble backgrounds.
There are those in eastern Europe who made their money recently after the collapse of the Soviet Union, there are industrialists from Scandinavia with fortunes derived from old industry, and there are some in Western Europe with ancient royal connections.
Business Insider has used Forbes' rich list to determine the wealthiest individual in each European state, ranked from the least-wealthy upwards.
In some countries, no residents made the Forbes list, and the countries were therefore not included in this ranking.
Mike Bird contributed to an earlier version of this post.
Romania's Ion Tiriac — NET WORTH: £, ($1 billion)
Romania's richest man is known as the "Brasov Bulldozer." A retired professional tennis and ice hockey player, he made his fortune following the collapse of Communist Romania in with a number of business investments across banking, retail, and insurance.
Monaco's Tatiana Casiraghi — NET WORTH: £ billion ($ billion)
Beer heiress Tatiana Casiraghi is Monaco's richest resident, and she also happens to be a royal there. Casiraghi inherited the bulk of her fortune from her late grandfather, who sold his Colombian brewery Bavaria for billions in She is married to Prince Andrea Casiraghi of Hanover, who is fourth in the line to the Monaco throne.
Finland's Antti Herlin — NET WORTH: £ billion ($ billion)
Finland's richest man made his money in an unlikely way — the escalator and elevator business. He's the great-grandson of Harald Herlin, who pur
The complete list of world's billionaires
Billionaire list
Rank
Name
Net Worth
($US billion)
Age
Source of Wealth
Citizenship
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen
Danish billionaire and businessman
Kjeld Kirk KristiansenR.1 (Danish pronunciation:[ˈkʰelˀˈkʰiɐ̯kkʰʁeˈstjænˀsn̩]; born 27 December ) is a Danish businessman who was the president and CEO of The Lego Group from to According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Kristiansen is the third richest Dane, with a net worth of US$ billion as of April He is the grandson of Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen.
Early life and education
Kristiansen was born 27 December in Billund, Denmark. His father, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, worked with his grandfather, Ole Kirk Christiansen, in the family business: Lego. As a child, he often inspired and tested new model concepts and their building instructions. He also appeared on many of the company's packages and marketing materials.
Kristiansen graduated with a bachelor's degree from Aarhus University. In , he received an MBA from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland.
Business career
In , Kristiansen became president and CEO of The Lego Group. He introduced themes, minifigures, , Lego Mindstorms and licensed properties. In , he stepped down as president and CEO to focus on his role as owner of the Lego Group and vice-chairman of the board, while maintaining his role as chairman of the board of KIRKBI A/S, Lego Holding A/S and the Lego Foundation. Lego is privately held and is controlled by the Kristiansen family and their foundations.
Personal life
Kristiansen and his wife, Camilla, live in Denmark and have three children: Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Sofie Kirk Kristiansen, and Agnete Kirk Thinggaard, a Danish Olympic dressage rider.
In , Kristiansen bought Strathconon Estate, in the highlands of Scotland, covering 60, acres (24,ha). He later bought the neighbouring Scardroy and Ledgowan estates.
Awards
He has receiv .