Kjeld_Kirk_Kristiansen
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen
Danish billionaire and businessman
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen R.1 (Danish pronunciation: [ˈkʰelˀ ˈkʰiɐ̯k kʰʁeˈstjænˀsn̩]; born 27 December 1947) is a Danish businessman who served as the president and CEO of The Lego Group from 1979 to 2004. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Kristiansen is the third richest Dane, with a net worth of US$7.26 billion as of April 2024.[2] He is the grandson of Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen | |
|---|---|
Kristiansen in 2018 | |
| Born | (1947-12-27) 27 December 1947 (age 76) |
| Alma mater | Aarhus University IMD Business School (MBA) |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Known for | Former CEO and Deputy Chairman of The LEGO Group |
| Title | President of The Lego Group |
| Term | 1979 – 2004 |
| Predecessor | Vagn Holck Andersen[1] |
| Successor | Jørgen Vig Knudstorp |
| Spouse | Camilla Kristiansen |
| Children | |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Ole Kirk Christiansen (grandfather) |
Kristiansen was born 27 December 1947 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.[3] He also appeared on many of the company's packages and marketing materials.[3] In 1979, he became president and CEO of The Lego Group. Kristiansen introduced themes, minifigures, LEGO.com, Lego Mindstorms and licensed properties.[3] In 2004, 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.[3] Lego is privately held and is controlled by the Kristiansen family and their foundations.
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.[4]
Kristiansen holds a bachelor's degree from Aarhus University and an MBA from IMD Business School, Switzerland.[5]
He has received many awards in his professional career.
- Knight 1st Class (Officer) of Denmark's Order of the Dannebrog[6]
- 1996: The Freedom Prize from the Max Schmidheiny Foundation [de], Switzerland[7]
- 1996: Distinguished Family Business Award from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Switzerland[8]
- Moran (Peony) insignia of the Order of Civil Merit from the Korean government
- Founder's Award from Dean Kamen
- 2008: he was inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame.[3] The Toy Hall of Fame was established in 1984 to recognize those people who have contributed most significantly to the toy industry. Past inductees include Ole Kirk Christiansen, Kjeld's grandfather and Lego founder, inducted in 1989.[9]
- "Life at the world's largest toymaker". Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- "Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen". Bloomberg. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- "LEGO Legend Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen to be Inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame". What's the Buzz. Toy Industry Association. 2008-02-11. Archived from the original on 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- Agnete Kirk Thinggaard Archived 2017-10-28 at the Wayback Machine, V.I.P.EDIA – seoghoer.dk
- "SE og HØR - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen". SE og HØR. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- "Freedom Prize Awardees". Max Schmidheiny Foundation. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- Moeller, Lise. "Laureates of the last decade". Institute for Managers and Development. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- "Toy Industry Hall of Fame". Toy Industry Association, Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2008-03-01.