these facts about IKEA’s founder?

> Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad, who died on Jan 27 at the age of 91, was the founder of IKEA.IKEA

The furniture group he started 75 years ago is now a huge global enterprise with sales of more than 35 billion euros in 2016.

The company, best known for its simple yet innovative furniture, employs more than 190,000 people at around 400 stores in close to 50 countries.

> Kamprad named the company using his own initials, the first letter of the family farm Elmtaryd, and its parish of Agunnaryd, in Smaland, southern Sweden. > Kamprad struggled with dyslexia, but found early in his life that he had a knack for business.

In 1943, at age 17, he started a mail-order business selling cards, lighters, pencils, watches and anything else he thought could be sold for a profit.

Five years later, he began selling furniture by local manufacturers.

> The first IKEA catalogue was published in 1951. Two years later, its first furniture showroom was opened in Älmhult, Sweden. The flat-pack furniture concept was introduced in 1956 after Kamprad watched an employee take the legs off a table to fit it into a customer’s car. > According to reports, Kamprad had a net worth closer to US$60bil (RM234bil), a claim he disputed. An estate inventory filed with Swedish tax authorities in 2013 put his personal wealth at US$113mil (RM441mil) .

Despite his wealth, Kamprad was known for his frugal habits.

He drove an aged Volvo, flew economy class, bought his clothes at the local flea market and shopped for groceries at street markets late in the evening when prices are lower.