Bill Gates is now Number 2
 

http://in.news.yahoo.com/040404/137/2cdva.html

IKEA founder overtakes Gates as world's richest

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Ingvar Kamprad, the Swede who founded furniture retail chain IKEA, has overtaken Microsoft's Bill Gates as the world's richest man, Swedish TV news reported on Sunday.

Citing next week's edition of the Swedish business weekly Veckans Affarer, public service SVT2 television said Kamprad, 77, has a personal fortune of 400 billion crowns ($53 billion).

Gates's fortune is put at $47 billion, according to the latest list of the world's rich in U.S. Forbes magazine, SVT2 said.

Kamprad, known for frugal habits such as flying economy class, lives in Switzerland and no longer takes part in the daily running of IKEA, but has kept ownership of the company with more than 180 stores in over 30 countries in the family.

SVT2 said the dollar's slide against other currencies is the main reason why Kamprad has now overtaken Gates.

That is amazing. He sells furniture and has that dominent of a position. Sort of makes you think people who say it can't be done of full of it.

this is bs he wasn't even in the top 10 last year

I think it's BS as well.

I find it hard to believe that someone with only 180 stores worldwide selling shit furniture could possibly have more cash than Gates. Possible I guess but unlikely. Then again I guess IKEA's R&D costs would be so minimal to pump out that rubbish that the profits must be excellent.

nope

The value of the U.S. dollar has fallen so much under Bush's shitty economy, that Gates is probably losing money even when he makes money in U.S. dollars. :1orglaugh

There's still good money to be made in furniture...some people redecorate every couple of years, plus with the global operations of IKEA, their supply chain must be really efficient.

If MicroSoft's stock went up a couple bucks a share that would probably be all it would take to put Gates back on top.
He's got a gazillion shares.

Very hard to believe, especially since Forbes magazine rated Ingvar the 13th richest person with a net worth of 18.5 billion dollars just in february.

:helpme

Furniture is cheap to make, the reason it costs so much is because it takes up a lot of space to store it and usually doesnt sell fast. I imagine they sell their stuff pretty fast and dont have to keep it around long. If each store makes $1 mil a year profit, 180 stores, in 10 years thats $18 billion. I can see him being worth $50 billion

wow :thumbsup


a few cents difference in stock and Gates will be back on top again :thumbsup

What happened to the Wal-Mart dude?

i dont believe it,no way

HELL YEAH, ! !!!

:GFYBand

Isn't that 1.8 Billion?

I believe it. The dollar has sunk a lot against the euro...

you mean the 5 Waltons @ 20 Bil each? :Graucho

Shit yeah it is..

but I imagine they sell more than $180 mil in profit per year anyway..

http://www.hoytoca.com/contenido/200...re/29/ikea.jpg I know it's hard to belive but this is the truth.

:glugglug

<center>Bill Gates has <b>always</b> been Number 2...

<img src="http://www.smeg.co.uk/gfx/poo/klingon.jpg"></center>

Damn they're 5 at 20Bill EACH!!!!:eek2

well, darnit

Hmm i thought that Roman Abramovic was richest in Europe but i guess i was wrong but i realy want to see Billy face now :)

I shit you not but IKEA gets 310 million visitors a year to all stores together.

$50 per sign up?

:glugglug

Yes.

ikea furniture sucks donkey dick.........and microsoft has yet to make anything truly stable.....hmmmmmmm i could care lesss who makes more money since i'm not seeing a penny

micro$oft sucks

IKEA have HUGE stores honestly, theres one here and its fucking HUGE!!!!

IKEA = SCIENTOLOGY

That guy is so rich, he could spend 2 billion dollars a year and still not spend all his money in his own lifetime.

Gates, what a poor bastard now...

Welcome to my ignore list newbie :thumbsup

$1Billion/year = $115,000/hour!

he fly's economy? What a nutcase.

I guess Bill Gates alreadu lose his crown....

I would be happy being #100

Baloney.

The charismatic founder of IKEA, the multinational furniture company that currently generates over 15 billion in sales, has always had a keen sense of business. At the age of five, he was already selling matches to his friends. In 1950, Ingvar Kamprad developed the concept of foldable furniture, the secret to IKEA's success. The Swedish businessman patiently built his empire of inexpensive contemporary furniture that now extends to the far corners of the world.

The Kamprad family has lived in Switzerland since 1976 at Epalinges, in Upper Lausanne. Kamprad's three sons learned French, a language already spoken by Ingvar's wife, Margaretha. In keeping with his style, the founder of IKEA lives in a discreet home and drives an old Volvo. His wife presides over the Lausanne parish of the Swedish Church, where they get together with the many other Swedes who have settled in Switzerland. When not on business trips or gazing over the shores of Lake Geneva, the Kamprad family lead a happy life in Upper Lausanne.

Living in Switzerland allows this businessman to travel quickly throughout Europe and to enjoy an exceptional standard of living in the Lake Geneva Arc. And yet the head of IKEA still lives life at the same old pace. In reality, he is thrifty and waits until the end of the village market to take advantage of the best prices and travels by train in second class. The billionaire feels so safe in Switzerland that he rides public transportation to travel incognito throughout Switzerland.

he's been busy with credit card scams

indeed

whoa

Considering that IKEA is a privately held company, nohahahaha can accurately say what the company is worth, so I don't see how they think they can accurately guess the guys wealth. Microsoft is a public company and at any time anyhahahaha can see how many shares Bill Gates owns so it's much easier to gauge his wealth.

I'm not sure if this is true or not..but the bottom line is that he got ALOT of money...much much more than me....so he get my props!!

But he better not sleep...cause I'm coming!! :glugglug

Flying economy class with 53 billion..... not me:NopeNope

I would have a fleet of private jets.

fuck the walton family:321GFY

lol.. poor old billy boy

Bill probably won't take the sitting down.

There's two brothers who married into the Walton family.