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The richest man in the world

· European affairs

The claim is being made (by various people) that the founder of the IKEA company, Ingvar Kamprad, is now the richest man in the world (supposedly Mr Kamprad has overtaken Mr Gates).

In the British media (both electronic and print) Mr Kamprad is described as ‘Swedish’. Now he may well still be a citizen of Sweden, but Mr Kamprad has been a resident of Lausanne, Switzerland since 1976.

Sweden is not doing badly economically at the moment, but I do find it interesting that the taxes of Sweden mean that its most successful businessman is unable to live there.

April 8th, 2004 |

9 comments to The richest man in the world

  • Bruce Gottfred
    April 9, 2004 at 1:55 am

    This claim has been debunked(Link). Bill Gates is still the king of the top-hat-wearing, lighting-cigars-with-hundred-dollar-bills, evil capitalist hierarchy.

  • Ted Schuerzinger
    April 9, 2004 at 2:54 am

    Astrid Lindgren (of Pippi Longstockings fame) wrote about this in her fairy tale “Pomperipossa in the World of Money”, which has the following wonderful quote:

    – Do you know that this year your marginal income tax is 102 percent?

    – What talk! Said Pomperipossa. There aren’t that many percent! For she was not particularly clued up in higher mathematics.

    – Oh yes! She was told. In Monismania there could be as many percent as you liked! If you added together income tax and the social charges which Pomperipossa was to pay because she was an sole trader, it added up to 102%, after that Pomperipossa could say what she pleased!

  • Dave
    April 9, 2004 at 6:54 am

    “Unable to live there.”

    Surely, unwilling – even in Sweden the days of 100+% are , I’m told by my Swedish employers over.

    However, having been to Sweden, I can fully understand that he doesn’t want to live there outside of June, July and August.

    Not sure I see Switzerland as an improvement though.

  • Guy Herbert
    April 9, 2004 at 7:38 am

    There are still some weird things about the Swedish tax code, though. It is definitely the place to be if you are up to your eyeballs in debt. That wouldn’t apply to Mr Kamprad, tho’. Allegedly.

  • theophilus
    September 2, 2005 at 9:38 am

    please you people should tell me who really is the richest man in the whole world today.

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    September 30, 2005 at 3:12 pm

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  • DURU KENNETH
    November 5, 2005 at 12:45 pm

    Bill gate still takes the crown and leader of the trillionaires of the world. Currently administered as the lion that ceased to fight.

  • eze franklin
    October 1, 2006 at 4:12 pm

    Deleted by editor. Sorry but ALL CAPS is a major etiquette faux pas

  • Cheryl
    December 4, 2006 at 7:29 pm

    yeah he is an evil capitolist just think how dare he donate 2 billion dollars out of his own pocket for starving people and then fly the food there himself! EVIL

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