Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen
Overview
- Source of Wealth
- Lego
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Residence
- Billund
- Education
- Aarhus Business School (Bachelor of Arts/Science)International Institute for Management and Development (Master of Business Administration)
- Marital Status
- Married
- Children
- 3
Biography
Third-generation owner of Lego, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen led the toy company known for its interlocking plastic bricks from 1979 to 2004.
He and his three grown children together evenly split ownership of a 75% stake in the $7.2 billion (sales) business.
He stepped down from Lego's board in 2019. His son Thomas, Lego's deputy chairman, will replace him as chair of family holding company Kirkbi in 2023.
His grandfather Ole, a carpenter, started making wooden toys in his workshop in 1932 before moving into plastic in the 1940s.
The family also owns about half of theme park operator Merlin Entertainments, which it took private with a consortium in 2019.
About
The original Legoland, built in 1968 in Kristiansen's hometown of Billund, is made up of over 20 million Lego bricks.
The word "Lego" comes from the Danish words "LEg GOdt" ("play well").