Apr 05, 2004. /Lesprom Network/. Ingvar Kamprad, founder and owner of IKEA furniture trade network became the world’s richest person, ABNews.ru reported. According to Swedish Vekans Affarer magazine, his fortune is estimated at $53 billon, while Microsoft founder Bill Gates owns $47 billion. IKEA has 180 shops in 30 countries. In 2003 IKEA opened a shop in the vicinity of Saint-Petersburg, in Vsevolzhsk, and recently Moscow authorities rented IKEA 3 sites for a new specialized trade center.