Ivar kreuger (1880-1932) was one of the greatest entrepreniurs ever lived! With help of Paul Toll and his "right arm" Krister Littorin, Ivar build up an industrial imperium who consists over 200 companies. In Sweden he owned 50% (in value) of the countrys total industry, and abroad he owned half of the worlds iron-mines, large buildings in Berlin, Paris and many other cities.
It all started in 1908 when Ivar and Paul Toll created: Kreuger & Toll AB, it was a buildingconstruction-company. The company grows and Ivar come into the match-industry, in 1917 he started: Swedish Match AB. This company soon became the largest company in Sweden with 250 factories over the whole world. At a time his company had 75% of the total match-production in the world! During 1925-1930 he gave big loans to several European states. After the stock-crash 1929 Kreugers business started to decline...after 3 years when the stock-market had lost 90% of it´s value Kreuger was bankrupt and shoot? himself in Paris 12 mars 1932. It was Krister Littorin who first find him dead on his bed.
In 1929 Ivar founded the pulp manifacturer SCA who is today one of Swedens largest company. At this year (1929) Kreuger stood on his top...his fortune was estimated to 900 BILLIONS swedish crones (todays value)...and the only person in history who can compares with him in wealth is: John. D. Rockefeller.
Pics on Ivar Kreuger, Paul Toll and Krister Littorin. After the pic on Krister you can see one of Kristers houses...the "english house" (engelska villan) in Uppsala, another was: Väsby Gård out on Värmdö. Krister Littorin was CEO for Swedish Match AB for many years and he was also vice CEO for the whole Kreuger-imperium. A pic on Swedish Matchs headquarter and on Ivars home in Stockholm (he owned over 50 real estates only there). The pic on the boat is: Svalan (built 1928), that was one of Ivars passions... fast boats...and cars!
Krister Littorins mother was Gustava Gagge, and she was sister to my mothers mothers mothers mother: Laura Gagge (married to Rudolf Walin).
Music: Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838), Klarinettkonsert nr. 3, Andante Moderato.
Ulf Sawert
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