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The LEGO Group

ToysFounded 1932
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded LEGO?

Ole Kirk Christiansen · Founded 1932 · HQ today: Billund, Denmark

Who founded LEGO?

LEGO was founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932. It is now led by Niels B. Christiansen.

Founders
Ole Kirk Christiansen
Founded
1932
Headquarters
Billund, Denmark
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Niels B. Christiansen (since 2017)
Where was LEGO founded?
LEGO was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932.
When was LEGO founded?
LEGO was founded in 1932.
Who started LEGO?
LEGO was founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen.
How old is LEGO?
LEGO is 94 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter in Billund, began making wooden toys in 1932 when the Great Depression dried up building work. In 1934 he named the business LEGO, from the Danish 'leg godt' ('play well'). A fire destroyed the workshop in 1942, and he rebuilt it. In 1947 he bought a plastic injection molding machine, and in 1949 the company began selling plastic Automatic Binding Bricks. His son Godtfred patented the modern stud-and-tube brick in 1958, the year Ole Kirk died. After another fire in 1960, the company stopped making wooden toys.

Ole Kirk Christiansen

Co-founder 1932

Background

He trained as a carpenter and ran a joinery and construction business in Billund before the Depression pushed him into toys.

Role at The LEGO Group

Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891-1958) was a Danish carpenter who started making wooden toys in Billund in 1932 and named the company LEGO in 1934. He bought the company's first plastic injection molding machine in 1947. His motto, 'Only the best is good enough', still guides the company.

He was born Ole Kirk Kristiansen on April 7, 1891 and died on March 11, 1958. His workshop first sold household products before turning to wooden toys. The move to plastic bricks followed the purchase of a plastic injection-moulding machine in 1947, and after his death management passed to his son Godtfred. Ole Kirk Christiansen was born in 1891.

The LEGO Group: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Niels B. Christiansen

Chief Executive Officer

2017 – Present

Under Christiansen, revenue rose from about $5.32 billion (DKK 35 billion) in 2017 to ~$12.7 billion (DKK 83.5 billion) in 2025, and LEGO kept gaining share in a slower toy market.

Bali Padda

Chief Executive Officer

2017 – 2017

Bali Padda served as chief executive of The LEGO Group from 2017 to 2017.

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp

Former Chief Executive Officer

2004 – 2016

Knudstorp restored profitability by simplifying the product range and combining the core system with licenses such as Star Wars. He later chaired LEGO Brand Group and is deputy chair of the LEGO Foundation.

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen

President and Chief Executive Officer

1979 – 2004

Lego expanded worldwide under him but reported heavy losses in 2003 and 2004. He handed the chief executive role to Jorgen Vig Knudstorp in 2004.

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen

Managing Director

1958 – 1979

He built the Lego System of Play and opened Legoland Billund in 1968. His son Kjeld succeeded him in 1979.

Keep researching LEGO

Who Founded LEGO? FAQ

Who founded The LEGO Group and under what historical circumstances?

The LEGO Group was founded on August 10, 1932, in the rural village of Billund, Denmark, by Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891 to 1958), a master carpenter who turned to crafting wooden toys after the Great Depression devastated his carpentry and construction business.

What was Ole Kirk Christiansen's famous wooden duck toy?

In 1935, Ole Kirk Christiansen created the classic wooden pull-along duck toy with a moving beak. When his son Godtfred saved money by applying only two coats of varnish instead of three, Ole made him retrieve the toys and apply the third coat, establishing the principle that quality must never be compromised.

How did Ole Kirk Christiansen discover the plastic injection molding machine in 1947?

In 1947, Ole Kirk Christiansen attended a trade demonstration in Copenhagen and purchased Denmark's first plastic injection molding machine for 30,000 Danish kroner (more than twice the company's annual profit), beginning production of plastic building bricks in 1949.

Who was Godtfred Kirk Christiansen and how did he invent the modern LEGO brick?

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (son of the founder) joined the business at age 12. In the 1950s, Godtfred realized that hollow plastic bricks lacked stability; on January 28, 1958, at 1:58 PM, he filed the historic Danish patent for the interlocking brick with inner tubes, creating the modern LEGO brick.

What was the tragic 1960 factory fire that permanently ended wooden toy production?

In February 1960, a catastrophic fire struck the Billund workshop, completely destroying the wooden toy manufacturing warehouse. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen made the bold executive decision to cease wooden toy production entirely and concentrate 100% of corporate resources on the plastic LEGO System.

When did the first LEGOLAND theme park open in Billund?

On June 7, 1968, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen opened the first LEGOLAND park in Billund, Denmark, featuring intricate Miniland miniature cities built from millions of LEGO bricks, attracting over 625,000 visitors in its first season.

Who was Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen and how did he introduce the Minifigure in 1978?

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen (grandson of the founder) joined executive leadership and created the well-known LEGO Minifigure in 1978, featuring yellow skin, movable arms and legs, and a neutral smiling facial expression, transforming sets into imaginative role-playing worlds.

What is the 'LEGO Idea House' museum in Billund?

Located in Ole Kirk Christiansen's original 1932 home and workshop in Billund, the LEGO Idea House contains the private historic corporate archives and a secure subterranean vault housing one copy of nearly every LEGO set ever manufactured.

Who founded LEGO?

It was founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The name "LEGO" comes from the Danish words "leg godt," meaning "play well." His son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, was highly critical to the massive success; Godtfred saw the ultimate potential of the "System in Play"—realizing that if all bricks were universally compatible, a child's imagination (and the company's sales) would literally be infinite.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.