Ingvar Kamprad, the Ikea founder who turned a small-scale mail order business into a global furniture empire, has died at 91, the company said Sunday. Ikea Sverige, the chain's Swedish unit, said on Twitter that Kamprad died Saturday at his home in Smaland, southern Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad founded Ikea in 1943 when he was just 17, but the business didn't really take off until the 1950s, when it introduced flat-pack furniture. In 1950, Kamprad introduced furniture into his catalogue, pieces that were produced by local manufacturers in the forests close to his home. Ikea is owned by foundation that Kamprad created, whose statutes require profits to be reinvested in the company or donated to charity.

Source: CBC News January 28, 2018 14:20 UTC