Ingvar Kamprad put IKEA into a Dutch foundation in 1982 that The Economist called the world's richest charity and one of its least generous

Kamprad founded IKEA in 1943. In 1982, with lawyer Linnea Walsh, he set up the Stichting INGKA Foundation in the Netherlands, with the stated purpose of promoting innovation in architecture and interior design. Sweden then had high inheritance taxes. INGKA owns Ingka Holding, which runs most IKEA stores. The IKEA brand and franchise fees sat in a second chain, owned by the Interogo Foundation in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, founded in 1989. Until 2010 its board was appointed by Appo Trust in Ontario, controlled by the Kamprad family^†. In May 2006 The Economist estimated INGKA's endowment at $36 billion, the world's wealthiest charity and "one of its least generous," and wrote that the set-up "minimises tax and disclosure, handsomely rewards the founding Kamprad family and makes IKEA immune to a takeover." Kamprad then went to a Dutch court to widen the foundation's purpose to children in poor countries; giving since 2009 has passed €2 billion^†. A 2016 report for the European Parliament's Greens accused IKEA of avoiding about €1 billion in tax in six years through franchise fees^†. In 2013 Kamprad gave up the right to appoint Interogo's council; family members may not hold a majority^†.