A Letter from Jesper on the Passing of Ingvar Kamprad

Dear colleagues,

It is with deep sorrow that I share with you that Ingvar has passed away at the age of 91. Following a short illness he died peacefully at his home in Småland, Sweden, surrounded by his closest family and loved ones.

This loss will be felt deeply all around the world, as he has touched the lives of so many of us. He will forever be remembered as a great entrepreneur, who turned his dream into a lifelong mission to make life better for the many people.

The story of Ingvar and IKEA began in 1943, when at the age of 17, Ingvar founded the trading firm IKEA, a small mail order company selling all kinds of merchandise. Ingvar was driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and a genuine human interest in how people live. He believed that everyone deserves a better life, and that IKEA can answer to their needs and dreams at home, even with small means.

Since 1988 Ingvar has not had an operational role within IKEA, but he continued to contribute to the business as a senior advisor, sharing his knowledge and energy. His greatest contributions to IKEA are his vision – to create a better everyday life for the many people, the IKEA culture and the long term approach to business. In the spirit of what Ingvar began, we will continue to grow and develop on this strong foundation.

Today we allow ourselves the sorrow of our loss. Tomorrow we will continue the never ending journey to make things better in the service of the many people. We will always be on the way.

Thank you, Ingvar.

Jesper