Stefan Persson (magnate)

Stefan Persson
Stefan Persson in 2010
Born	4 October 1947 (1947-10-04) (age 76) Stockholm, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Education	University of Stockholm
Occupation	Business magnate
Known for	Main shareholder of H&M
Title	Chairman of H&M
Spouse	Carolyn Denise Persson
Children	3
Parent(s)	Erling Persson Margrit Persson

Carl Stefan Erling Persson (Swedish: [ˈsteːfan ˈpæʂɔn]; born 4 October 1947) is a Swedish business magnate. In March 2013, Forbes reported Persson's net worth as $28 billion making him the richest of Sweden's 12 billionaires and the 17th richest person in the world. Persson is the chairman and main shareholder in fashion company H&M, which was founded by his father Erling Persson in 1947. Persson took over the company from his father in 1982 and served as its manager until 1998. Persson also owns a substantial stake in the Swedish technology company, Hexagon AB. Persson owns through his privately held real estate company Ramsbury Invest a large amount of properties in London, Paris and Stockholm.

In 2014 according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Persson had a net worth US $31.9 billion, making him the 17th richest person in the world.

Personal life

Persson is a founder of the Mentor Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that combats substance abuse among young people. He is a supporter of Djurgårdens IF and is co-funding a foundation for the club. Persson enjoys downhill skiing, tennis and golf. He owns properties in London, Paris and Stockholm and, in 2009, acquired the 21-cottage village of Linkenholt in Hampshire, England.

Persson attended the University of Stockholm and still lives in Stockholm, Sweden with his wife, Carolyn Denise Persson. They have three children and, in 2009, his son, Karl-Johan Persson, took over as president and chief executive of H&M.