Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (July 8, 1920 – July 13, 1995) was the son of
Ole Kirk ChristiansenOle Kirk Christiansen was the 13th son of an impoverished farmer family in Jutland in western Denmark. Born in Fliskov, Denmark, he trained as a carpenter and started making wooden toys in 1932 to make a living after having lost his job during the depression...
, the founder of the
Lego GroupLego Group is a Danish family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark and best known for the manufacture of Lego-brand toys.The company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The word Lego is derived from the Danish words "leg godt" which in Danish means "play well"...
. In 1949 Godtfred Kirk Christiansen bought the patent to the
LegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
brick and the family started producing plastic bricks as a supplement to the wooden toys. In 1950 he became Junior Vice President of the company and in 1956, he was appointed Managing Director. When his father died in 1958, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen became the manager of the company and bought out his three brothers in 1960 to become sole proprietor of Lego Group.
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Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (July 8, 1920 – July 13, 1995) was the son of
Ole Kirk ChristiansenOle Kirk Christiansen was the 13th son of an impoverished farmer family in Jutland in western Denmark. Born in Fliskov, Denmark, he trained as a carpenter and started making wooden toys in 1932 to make a living after having lost his job during the depression...
, the founder of the
Lego GroupLego Group is a Danish family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark and best known for the manufacture of Lego-brand toys.The company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The word Lego is derived from the Danish words "leg godt" which in Danish means "play well"...
. In 1949 Godtfred Kirk Christiansen bought the patent to the
LegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
brick and the family started producing plastic bricks as a supplement to the wooden toys. In 1950 he became Junior Vice President of the company and in 1956, he was appointed Managing Director. When his father died in 1958, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen became the manager of the company and bought out his three brothers in 1960 to become sole proprietor of Lego Group. His son,
Kjeld Kirk KristiansenKjeld Kirk Kristiansen was the president and CEO of Lego between 1979 and 2004.-Biography:Kjeld was born December 27, 1947 in Billund, Denmark. His father, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen worked with his grandfather, Ole Kirk Christiansen in the family business: Lego. As a child, he often inspired...
, took over as president and CEO of the Lego Group in 1979.