The 5 wealthiest Scandinavian billionaires and their family offices

This article directly results from the research process for our Scandinavian Family Office database. This list includes the main family investment vehicles of some of the wealthiest people from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, investing in areas as diverse as financial markets, real estate, venture capital, private equity, and renewable energy.

#1 Kristiansen Family Office, Net Worth $25.5BN

The Kristiansen family owns 75% of the trademark rights to Lego, with the remaining 25% owned by the Lego Foundation. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, son of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen and grandson of Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, was Lego’s CEO from 1979 to 2004. Since 2016, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen has taken over from his father Kjeld as deputy chairman of the company’s board. He and his sister Sofie Kirk Kristiansen split the company’s ownership and inherited Lego’s 75% stake. The family’s fortune has grown through numerous investments made by the family office Kirkbi.

#2 The Maersk Family Office, Net Worth $21BN

The name Mærsk Møller has been associated with the Danish shipping and logistics company since Peter Mærsk Møller founded a steamship company in 1886. The company has been run by several generations of the Maersk family. Today, Robert Maersk Uggla is chairman of the board. It operates in more than 130 countries and employs more than 100,000 people. Its fleet has grown to 740 ships.

#3 Stefan Persson Family Office, Net Worth $16.6BN

Stefan Persson is Sweden’s richest man, thanks to his 36% stake in global cheap chic fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M). H&M was founded by his father Erling Persson in 1947. Stefan Persson Persson took over H&M from his father in 1982 and was chairman until 2020. In addition to his involvement in the fashion industry, Persson and his family own a private family office called Ramsbury Invest AB. Ramsbury Invest mainly manages the Perssons’ holdings in their family businesses but also invests in equities, securities and real estate.

#4 Anders Holch Povlsen Family Office, Net Worth $12.5BN

The Danish businessman is the CEO and owner of the global retail chain Bestseller, which is an umbrella company for other clothing brands such as Vero Moda and Jack & Jones. Heartland is a holding company that represents the interests of the Povlsen family. Anders is also the largest private Scottish landowner with a portfolio over 220,000 acres, which has doubled since 2012.

#5 Antonia Ax:son Johnson Family Office, Net Worth $10BN

Antonia Ax:son Johnson is the fourth generation to run the family business, the Axel Johnson Group. The company was founded in 1873 by her great-grandfather. From 1982 to 2015, Ax:son Johnson was Chairman of the Board of Axel Johnson. All together the company is active in the energy, real estate, industrial products, and grocery store chains. The family office of the Ax:son Johnson family is integrated into the Axel Johnson Group and is called AltoCumulus. The asset management company invests in equities, private equity, and fixed income.

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