Danish businessman Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who was in charge of LEGO from 1979 until 2004, was born on December 27, 1947. The Kirk Kristiansen family and its holding company, Kirkbi, are the sole owners of the privately held firm LEGO.
Kristiansen is Ole Kirk Christiansen’s grandson and the son of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, who founded LEGO. He was made a Knight of the Dannebrog in 1994. Thomas Kirk Kristiansen succeeded Kristiansen as chairman of the LEGO Foundation in April 2016.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Bio/Wiki
| Birth Name | Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen |
| Nick Name | Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen |
| Age | 76 years (as in 2023) |
| Religion | Christian |
| Sun Sign/Zodiac Sign | Capricon |
| Birth Place | Billund, Denmark |
| Date of Birth | 27 December 1947 |
| Nationality | Denmark |
| Hobbies | NA |
Family |
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| Mother's Name |  |
| Father's Name |  |
| Brother | None |
| Sister | Gunhild kristiansen |
Girlfriends/Affairs |
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| Affairs/Girlfriends | NA |
Marital Status, Wife and Children |
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| Wife/Spouse |  |
| Children | Agnete Kirk Thinggaard, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen |
Education |
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| School | IMD Business School |
| College/University | Aarhus University |
| Profession | Businessman |
Height, Weight, and Figure Measurements |
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| Height (Approx.) | 172 cm |
| Weight (Approx.) | 78 kgs |
Extra Ordinary Features |
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| Race / Ethnicity | Danish |
| Hair Color | Grey |
| Eye Color | Black |
| S*xual Orientation | Straight |
Favourite Things |
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| Favourite Food | NA |
| Favourite Book | NA |
| Favourite Colors | Black |
| Favourite Sport | Playing Wrestling |
| Controversies | None |
Early Life
Kristiansen was born in Billund, Denmark, on December 27, 1947. Lego was the family business that his father, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, worked in alongside his grandpa, Ole Kirk Christiansen. He frequently developed new model ideas as a kid and tested out the building instructions.
Additionally, he was shown on a lot of the company’s packaging and promotional items. He was named The Lego Group’s president and CEO in 1979. Themes, minifigures, LEGO.com, Lego Mindstorms, and licenced properties were all introduced by Kristiansen.
He resigned from his position as president and chief executive officer in 2004 to concentrate on his responsibilities as the owner of the Lego Group and vice-chairman of the board. He kept his position as the chairman of the boards of KIRKBI A/S, Lego Holding A/S, and the Lego Foundation.
The Kristiansen family and its foundations own and run Lego privately. Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Sofie Kirk Kristiansen, and Agnete Kirk Thinggaard, an Olympic dressage rider from Denmark, are the couple’s three children. Thomas Kirk Kristiansen and Camilla live in Denmark.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Education
Kristiansen graduated from Aarhus University with a bachelor’s degree and from the IMD Business School in Switzerland with an MBA.
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Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Family
The Freedom Prize and the Distinguished Family Business Award from Switzerland, as well as the Moran insignia of the Order of Civil Merit from South Korea, are just a few of the honours that the LEGO Group has earned. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was enshrined in the Toy Hall of Fame in 2008. His father and grandfather were previously associated.
He continues to reside in Denmark and is the father of three kids. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was appointed chairman of the family’s investment firm, Krikbi, in 1996. Krikbi is in charge of the family’s 75% ownership in Lego. The Lego Foundation, the family’s charitable arm, owns the remaining 25%. The following ten years produced less.
Early in the new millennium, the business was losing money as a result of escalating rivalry from businesses like Hasbro. More than 1,000 employees were let go by LEGO under Kristiansen’s leadership, and numerous product lines were discontinued. After the business lost $330 million the previous year, he left his position as CEO in 2004.
Thomas, his son, was put in charge. The family also concurred that each generation’s owners serve as ambassadors and keepers of the essential principles of the family as well as active and responsible shareholders. All owners participate in the operations of the LEGO Group, KIRKBI, and related foundations in a variety of ways, including serving on the Board or carrying out representative responsibilities.
Professional Career
After receiving his MBA, Kristiansen joined the family firm and was subsequently elected to the board of directors. He wasn’t just sitting back and getting paid and dividends. The first, later-iconic small LEGO figures were created by Kristiansen himself. Since their 1978 debut, LEGO miniature figures have sold in record numbers all around the world.
The next two decades saw remarkable growth for LEGO under Kristiansen’s direction. The corporation started establishing theme parks and obtaining branding licences from other IP owners, including Star Wars, in the 1990s. The first LEGO set with a Star Wars theme was produced as a result of this IP expansion in 1999, and it was an enormous success that sparked numerous more such collaborations.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was appointed chairman of the family’s investment firm, Krikbi, in 1996. Krikbi is in charge of the family’s 75% ownership in Lego. The Lego Foundation, the family’s charitable arm, owns the remaining 25%. The following ten years produced less. Early in the new millennium, the business was losing money as a result of escalating rivalry from businesses like Hasbro.
More than 1,000 employees were let go by LEGO under Kristiansen’s leadership, and numerous product lines were discontinued. After the business lost $330 million the previous year, he left his position as CEO in 2004.
Thomas, his son, was put in charge. The following year, LEGO sold a 70% stake in its theme park division to private equity behemoth Blackstone for $457 million in an effort to stabilise its finances. On behalf of the family’s investment company Kirkbi, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen oversaw a $1 billion investment into Fortnite creator Epic Games in April 2022.
Sony also made a $1 billion investment at the same time. The funding deal gave Epic a $31.5 billion valuation. The creation of virtual worlds, digital avatars, and digital goods in a kid-friendly metaverse was one of the objectives of the investments from both Kirkbi and Sony.
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Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Family
The most active owner of the fourth generation, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen took the first steps toward a smooth handover in 2016 when they switched positions on the LEGO A/S Board of Directors. Thomas Kirk Kristiansen was made deputy chairman, and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was made an ordinary board member.
Thomas Kirk Kristiansen was elected chairman of the LEGO Foundation’s board, while Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was named vice chairman. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was appointed chairman of the family’s investment firm, Krikbi, in 1996. Krikbi is in charge of the family’s 75% ownership in Lego.
The Lego Foundation, the family’s charitable arm, owns the remaining 25%. The following ten years produced less. Early in the new millennium, the business was losing money as a result of escalating rivalry from businesses like Hasbro.
More than 1,000 employees were let go by LEGO under Kristiansen’s leadership, and numerous product lines were discontinued. After the business lost $330 million the previous year, he left his position as CEO in 2004. Thomas, his son, was put in charge.
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Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Company
But the quickly evolving product ranges provide the best protection. 182 of the 385 goods available on the international LEGO market in 1996 were completely new. System integration with mechanical and electronic components has increased over time. Products from LEGO were offered in 133 nations in 1996.
300 million kids have played with the bricks in the past 40 years. 1997 saw the most product launches of any year, including the LEGO SCALA, a series of toys designed for “big girls,” or children five and older. The range includes a very adaptable doll’s house, much to the consternation of what Kristiansen refers to as the “LEGO fundamentalists.”
Ambeck-Madsen claims that the offering “wasn’t fair either to us or to Mattel” because it resulted in a wave of “LEGO takes on Barbie” tales. In addition to its primary business, the company has established two LEGOLAND theme parks: one in Billund, Denmark, and the other in Windsor, a neighbourhood close to the castle of the British royal family.
It debuted in March of the previous year. In 1999, a third park is expected to open in Carlsbad, California. According to Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the parks are effective because “Generally speaking, they are built more on involvement than diversion and skills rather than thrills. There are no nerve-wracking rides, and we want every visitor to leave with new knowledge.”
The feeling of strolling through the Billund park is one of great fun in a serene environment. Many elder visitors merely come to observe kids participating in a LEGO safari or practising their driving at the “driving school.”
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Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Awards
He has received the following honours: Knight of the Danish Dannebrog Order; The Freedom Prize from the Max Schmidheiny Foundation, Switzerland; The Distinguished Family Business Award from the International Institute for Management and Development (IMD), Switzerland; The Moran (Peony) insignia of the Order of Civil Merit from the Korean Government; The Founder’s Award from Dean Kamen; and Induction into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2008.
Those who have made the greatest contributions to the toy industry are honoured in the Toy Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1984. The founder of Lego and Kjeld’s grandpa Ole Kirk Christiansen were among the previous honorees. He was honoured in 1989.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen Net Worth
Danish entrepreneur Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen has a $5.67 billion net worth. He is one of the wealthiest people in Denmark thanks to his fortune.
Although he once held the title of Denmark’s richest man, Anders Holch Povlsen and Neils Louis-Hansen have recently surpassed Kristiansen in terms of wealth.
| Estimated Net Worth in 2023 (Approx) | $5.67 Billion |
| Estimated Net Worth in 2022 (Approx) | $6 Billion |
| Estimated Net Worth in 2021 (Approx) | $5.7 Billion |
| Estimated Net Worth in 2020 (Approx) | $5 Billion |
| Annual Salary | $1 Billion |
Assets |
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| Houses |   |
| Cars |  |
| Yachts | NA |
| Jets | NA |
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FAQs
How much is the net worth of Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen?
His current net worth (as of 2023) is $5.67 Billion.
Who is Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen wife?
He is married to Camilla Kristiansen.
What is Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen age?
He is 76 years old as of 2023.
What is the name of the Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen firm?
He is the founder of Kirkbi.
