IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad dead at age 91
Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the world's largest furniture retailer, IKEA, died at his home in Smaland, Sweden, on Saturday. He was 91 years old.
The company shared news of Kamprad's death on Sunday morning via an online statement, calling him "one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century."
"We are deeply saddened by Ingvar’s passing. We will remember his dedication and commitment to always side with the many people. To never give up, always try to become better and lead by example," CEO and President of Inter IKEA Group, Torbjörn Lööf, said in a statement.
Kamprad was born in 1926 and founded the home furnishings company at just 17 years old. The company described him as a hardworking, dedicated man "with a lot of warmth and a playful twinkle in his eye."
Despite his lack of operational role within the company after 1988, IKEA noted, Kamprad served as a senior adviser in the years that followed, offering many contributions to employees during the span of his career.
Over the years IKEA has earned a special place in pop culture, thanks to innovations like an AR app, snazzy pet furniture, and that weird pregnancy test ad. It's also been the site of some beautiful viral moments, like the video of that dude who annoyed his girlfriend with furniture puns and the beloved stylish IKEA monkey.
At the time of his death, Kamprad ranked eighth on Bloomberg's Billionaire Index list, and is said to have had an estimated worth of $58.7 billion.
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Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
