- Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller
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Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller 
Born 13 July 1913
DenmarkNationality Danish Occupation Shipping magnate, businessman Awards Knight of the Elephant Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, RE (born 13 July 1913) is a Danish shipping magnate.
Contents
Personal life
Møller is the son of Arnold Peter Møller – founder of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group – and an American, Chastine Estelle Roberta McKinney. He was married to his high-school sweetheart Emma Neergaard Rasmussen from 1940 until her death in 2005. They have three daughters: Leise Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller (born 1941), Kirsten Mærsk Mc-Kinney Olufsen (born 1944), and Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla (born 1950).
Business activities
A.P. Møller – Mærsk headquarters at Copenhagen harbour
Møller became a partner in the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group in 1940. When Denmark was occupied by Germany during World War II Møller went into exile in the United States and ran the family business from New York until his return to Denmark in 1947. Møller became CEO and chairman on his father's death in 1965.
For details on his activities, see History of Maersk#1965 - 1993: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller takes the helm.
In 1970, Møller became the first non-American member of the board of IBM, a position he held until 1984.
Møller stepped down as CEO in 1993 in favor of Jess Søderberg, but stayed on as chairman of the board until 2003 when – age 90 – he retired completely. He still personally controls a substantial portion of the company's shares. He is generally considered one of the most respected industrialists in Denmark, even admired by many.
He is currently Denmark's second-richest man after Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, according to Forbes List of Billionaires 2007.[1] This is disputed by the Danish financial magazine Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin, which places Møller as number one in Denmark and estimates his fortune in 2006 as 141.2 billion DKK, and his personal wealth to 7.0 billion DKK. Most of Møller's fortune is placed in foundations controlling the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group, in which he holds a controlling interest.[2]
North Sea oil
In 1962, A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S was granted concession to survey and exploit oil and natural gas resources below Denmark, rendering a monopoly-like status to Maersk. The 40 year agreement was renewed in 2003, causing some discussion. The levy paid to the state is not influenced by fluctuating oil prices, meaning Maersk can get a much larger profit in times with high oil prices. Also, the levy is just 69 percent, while Norway has 80 percent, and Britain raised the oil levy in 2006 because of high prices. According to the newspaper Information on 4 November 2007, the oil price since the agreement of 2003 had risen from 22 to 96 USD per barrel, meaning the company would in forty years not just earn the expected profit of 87 billion kroner, but 346 billion kroner.[1] Government parties have however declined to change the agreement or raise the oil levy.
The oil and gas is reclaimed by Mærsks Olie og Gas A/S and Dansk Undergrunds Consortium (DUC), owned by A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S (39%), a subcompany of Royal Dutch Shell (46%) and Chevron Denmark Inc. (15%).
The A.P. Møller – Mærsk company is a major contributor to the Conservative People's Party and Venstre, the two parties forming Denmark's governing coalition from 2001 to 2011. Smaller contributions have been paid to other right-of-centre parties, including the Danish Social Liberal Party, Danish People's Party, and formerly the Centre Democrats and the Progress Party.
Donations
The Copenhagen Opera at the harbourThrough two large family-controlled foundations Møller has made substantial donations to causes both in Denmark and abroad, including the new Copenhagen Opera House directly across the harbour from the royal residence, Amalienborg Palace, and within sight from his corporate headquarters. He also donated Amaliehaven, a park between the Palace and the harbour. Other gifts include major donations to restore the frigate Jylland, to The Old Town, Aarhus, for the Rembrandt exhibition at Statens Museum for Kunst; for renovations at Kastellet, for the construction of the A. P. Møller High School in Schleswig, Germany (for the Danish minority), for the Ansgar Church for the Danish minority in Flensburg, Germany, and for The Møller Centre for Continuing Education at Churchill College, Cambridge.
Destinctions and accolades
Møller is a knight of the Danish Order of the Elephant; he is the only person who is neither royal nor a head of state to currently hold this honour (the nuclear physicist Niels Bohr and founder of the East Asiatic Company Hans Niels Andersen held the same order), which grants him the title His Excellency.
References
- ^ Staten går glip af oliefesten, Information, 4 November 2007 (in Danish)
External links
Categories:- 1913 births
- Living people
- Businesspeople in shipping
- Danish businesspeople
- Knights of the Elephant
- Danish billionaires
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