Founder Profile
Ole Kirk Christiansen
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Ole Kirk Christiansen?
Ole Kirk Christiansen is a founder of The LEGO Group, which was founded in 1932.
- Company founded
- The LEGO Group
- Founded
- 1932
Background
He trained as a carpenter and ran a joinery and construction business in Billund before the Depression pushed him into toys.
Founding Story
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.