The .Plan

When Bill & Melinda Gates dumped a big pot of gold into the ring a few years ago, many observers thought that they would destabilize the world of global philanthropy. That hasn’t happened yet AFAIK. I used to think that GF was the 800 pound gorilla of the foundation world, but I guess for the strong, there’s always a stronger…

The parent for all IKEA companies is Ingka Holding, a private Dutch-registered company. Ingka Holding, in turn, belongs entirely to Stichting Ingka Foundation. Valuing the Inkga Holding group is awkward, because IKEA has no direct competitors that operate globally… Using [an estimated P/E ratio of 20], the Ingka Holding group is worth €28 billion ($36 billion). If Stichting Ingka Foundation has net worth of at least $36 billion it would be the world’s wealthiest charity. Its value easily exceeds the $26.9 billion shown in the latest published accounts of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is commonly awarded that accolade. Measured by good works, however, the Gates Foundation wins hands down. It devotes most of its resources to curing the diseases of the world’s poor. By contrast the Kamprad billions are dedicated to “innovation in the field of architectural and interior design”. The articles of association of Stichting Ingka Foundation, a public record in the Netherlands, state that this object cannot be amended. Even a Dutch court can make only minor changes to the stichting’s aims.
–“Flat Pack Accounting”, The Economist, May 11, 2006

Hat tip to AbFab2theMax.