IKEA's Ingvar Kamprad The Furniture Revolutionist Dies at 91

Often recognised as the greatest entrepreneur from Sweden, IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad left for his heavenly abode on January 28, 2018, at his hometown Småland, Sweden. He died peacefully while at his home in Småland.

At the age of 17 Kamprad invested a tiny sum, received from his father and came up with the idea of flat-pack furniture. His designs received wide acceptance owing to its simplicity and easy to assemble picture based instructions. Gradualy IKEA expanded across the globe and today operates 339 stores across the world.

The billionaire battled dyslexia as a child, overcame it with his zeal to create and his penchant for innocation. The idea of flat-pack self-assembled furniture struck him when he saw a worker removing the legs of the table to fit it in a car. Kamprad’s vision was to found a company that makes life easier for its customers, which he achieved with unparalleled success.

Ingvar Kamprad, in his book has accepted his links with swedish fascist groups, during the period between 1942 – 45. He is criticised for this association, but has accepted it as ‘greatest mistake’ of his life. The privately owned IKEA company faced a multi-billion tax inquiry in its recent years. The affluent personality having a net worth of $3.4 billion lived life in frugality, drove an old Volvo all his life and often traveled through economic class.

With retail sales totaling to 36.4 bn euros today IKEA stands as one of the most iconic furniture brands across the globe. His is a truly inspiring journey of entrepreneurship and innovation. Kamprad served the company till he was 87.

Leading by Design : The IKEA Story co-authored by Kamprad along with Bertil Torekull tells the story of his journey beginning from humble roots to the most remarkable entrepreneur of Sweden. This book along with ‘The Testament of a Furniture Dealer’ are pieces of literature that can certainly ignite the entrepreneurial zeal among young creators.