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April 08, 2004
Thursday
 
 
The richest man in the world
Paul Marks (Northamptonshire)  European affairs
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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.

Comments

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.


Posted by Bruce Gottfred at April 9, 2004 01:55 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!


Posted by Ted Schuerzinger at April 9, 2004 02:54 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.


Posted by Dave at April 9, 2004 06:54 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.


Posted by Guy Herbert at April 9, 2004 07:38 AM

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


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Posted by akhere at September 30, 2005 03:12 PM

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


Posted by DURU KENNETH at November 5, 2005 12:45 PM
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