#775

Torbjorn Tornqvist

Sweden 72 years old Self-Made

Overview

Torbjörn Törnqvist is the Swedish cofounder of Gunvor, a global energy and commodities group.

Gunvor has a diverse portfolio that includes refineries, pipelines, terminals, LNG carriers, and biofuel and hydrogen plants.

Törnqvist got his start at British Petroleum in 1977, and launched Gunvor in 2000.

He bought out his cofounder Gennady Timchenko in 2014, following the Russian invasion of Crimea.

Törnqvist owned more than 80% of Gunvor until December 2025, when he sold his stake to a group of employees and stepped back from the company.

Törnqvist is an avid sailor; his Artemis Racing team has raced in the America's Cup and now develops tech to cut emissions in maritime trade.

In 2015, Tornqvist paid himself a $1 billion dividend, one of the biggest payments ever in the commodity-trading industry.