{{Short description|Norwegian businessman, investor, art collector and donor}} {{Infobox person | name = Christen Sveaas | birth_date = {{birth date and age|18 June 1956}} | birth_place = [[Oslo]], Norway | education = [[University of St. Gallen]] | occupation = Businessman, investor, art collector, donor | known_for = Founder and owner of Kistefos AS | boards = Vice chairman of Kistefos Museum, chairman of Anders Sveaas Allmennyttige Fond | awards = Commander of the Order of Merit (Italy), Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav (Norway) | parents = Anders Sveaas jr, Marit Sveaas (née Hansen) | relatives = Anders Sveaas (paternal grandfather) }} '''Christen Sveaas''' (born 18 June 1956) is a [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] businessman, investor, art collector, and donor. He is the founder and sole owner of [[Kistefos]]{{nbsp}}AS, vice chairman of the board of the [[Kistefos Museum]], and chairman of the board of Anders Sveaas Almennyttige Fond.<ref name="Board">{{cite web|url=http://www.kistefos.no/the-firm/board-of-directors/|accessdate=25 November 2019|title=Board of Directors|date=|publisher=Kistefos}}</ref>

== Early life == Christen Sveaas was born in Oslo,<ref name=snl>{{cite encyclopedia|year=2007|title=Christen Sveaas|encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]]|editor=Henriksen, Petter|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/Christen_Sveaas|language=Norwegian|accessdate=1 August 2010}}</ref> and was awarded a degree from the [[University of St. Gallen]] in 1981.<ref name="Board"/> His paternal grandfather is [[Anders Sveaas]] (1840–1917), who founded the company [[Kistefos Træsliberi]] in 1889. The company was sold by the family to [[Viul Tresliperi]] in 1985, against Christen Sveaas' wish.

== Investments == Christen Sveaas started his first investment company in 1979, and, from 1982 to 1985, he worked at Grieg Finans before becoming independent.<ref name="Lars Lent Viljen 2014, p255-270">{{cite book|first=Lars|last=Lenth|title=Viljen en familiekrønike om grådighet, svik, misunnelse, ærgjerrighet og kjærlighet : A/S Kistefos Træsliberi 125 år|publisher=Kagge|year=2014|isbn=9788248913337|pages=255–270}}</ref><ref name=snl/> He made a series of successful investments ([[venture capital]]) in the late 1980s and early 1990s.<ref name=nbl>{{cite encyclopedia|year=|title=Christen Sveaas|encyclopedia=[[Norsk biografisk leksikon]]|first=Gunnar|last=Stavrum|editor=Helle, Knut|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Christen_Sveaas/utdypning|language=Norwegian|accessdate=1 August 2010|editor-link=Knut Helle}}</ref>

In 1993, he bought back 85% of the shares in Kistefos Træsliberi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kistefos.museum.no/om-oss-historikk |title=Kistefos-Museet|access-date=2017-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816030332/https://kistefos.museum.no/om-oss-historikk |archive-date=16 August 2018 |language=no |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also merged several companies into the new investment company Kistefos, where he is the sole owner and chairman of the board. The company Kistefos has investments in dry cargo-[[shipping]], offshore supply vessels, [[financial services]], [[private equity]], [[venture capital]], technology founded investments and [[real estate development]]. Kistefos Træsliberi has interests in [[forestry]] (about {{convert|17500|ha|acre|disp=or}}), and related industrial activities in addition to various financial investments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kistefos.no/|title=Welcome to Kistefos|accessdate=25 November 2019}}</ref>

Sveaas initiated the Kistefos Museum, the original and fully intact wood pulp mill from 1889, of which he is the main sponsor. Since 1997, the Kistefos-Museum has been developed and now comprises a famous sculpture park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Skulpturpark |url=http://www.kistefos.museum.no/skulpturpark |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318051046/http://www.kistefos.museum.no/skulpturpark |archive-date=18 March 2012 |accessdate=25 November 2019}}</ref> He has also contributed to the Vigeland Museum and the maintenance of [[Vigeland installation]] in [[Frogner Park]]. Sveaas is a collector of contemporary art and sculptures, and is also a wine connoisseur.<ref name="Lars Lent Viljen 2014, p255-270"/> At a point in time, he was rumoured to own the largest private wine cellar in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/The-Man-Behind-the-Millennium-Cellar_20462|newspaper=[[Wine Spectator]]|title=The Man Behind the Millennium Cellar|accessdate=25 November 2019|date=18 November 1999|first=Per-Henrik|last=Mansson}}</ref> Sveaas was also the owner of two star Guide Michelin restaurant [[Bagatelle (restaurant)|Bagatelle]] in Oslo for about 20 years, which world award-winning Chef [[Eyvind Hellstrøm]] left in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dn.no/nyheter/naringsliv/2014/09/02/2156/Mat-og-drikke/bagatelle-stenger-drene|title=Bagatelle stenger dørene|language=no|first1=Merete|last1=Bø|first2=Benedicte|last2=Ramm|first3=Mads|last3=Kvernen Kleppe|newspaper=[[Dagens Næringsliv]]|accessdate=25 November 2019|date=2 September 2014}}</ref>

== Affiliations == Sveaas has served on several boards, [[Orkla Group]], [[Stolt-Nielsen]], [[Tschudi & Eitzen]], [[Vestenfjeldske Bykreditt]], [[SkipsKredittforeningen]] and privately owned [[Treschow-Fritzøe]]. Furthermore, he is the chairman of the board for the Anders Sveaas Almennyttige Fond, a Norwegian charitable foundation founded in 1990, which owns several antique string instruments, among which are two Stradivarius Violins and one Stradivarius Cello.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://finansavisen.no/nyheter/naeringsliv/2016/07/sveaas-ga-bort-stradivariuser-verdt-flere-titalls-millioner|title=Sveaas ga bort stradivariuser verdt flere titalls millioner|language=no|date=27 July 2016|first=Siri|last=Knutsen Vosgraff|accessdate=25 November 2019|newspaper=[[Finansavisen]]}}</ref> Its focus is to support organisations without relevant public funding, and young promising classical musicians through scholarships and instrument loans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asaf.no/|language=no|title=Anders Sveaas' Almennyttige Fond|accessdate=25 November 2019|date=|website=www.asaf.no}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=November 2019}}<ref name="Board"/>

Sveaas is a member of Dean's Council, Executive Committee at Harvard Kennedy School.<ref name="Board"/> Sveaas is also a founding member of the Metropolitan Museum International Council in New York and member of Tate International Council in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/download/file/fid/17989|accessdate=25 November 2019|title=Sign in to your digital profile|publisher=[[Tate]]}}{{subscription required|date=November 2019}}</ref> Furthermore, he is a global patron of [[Art Basel]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artbasel.com/about/patrons|title= About&nbsp;&ndash; Global Patrons Council|accessdate=25 November 2019|date=|publisher=[[Art Basel]]}}</ref> and a member of HSG Advisory Board at the [[University of St. Gallen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unisg.ch/en/universitaet/ueber-uns/strukturderhsg/beirat|accessdate=25 November 2019|title=HSG Advisory Board 2018-2020|publisher=[[University of St. Gallen]]}}</ref>

==Honors== Sveaas is a Commander of the Order of Merit in the Republic of Italy and a Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav for his contribution to the Arts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.quirinale.it/elementi/DettaglioOnorificenze.aspx?decorato=241727|title=Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kongehuset.no/nyhet.html?tid=89139&sek=26939|title = Utnevnelser til St. Olavs Orden}}</ref>

==Political affiliations==

Politically, he has supported the [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dagsavisen.no/innenriks/article268908.ece|first=Irene|last=Halvorsen|title=Bladde opp for Frp|work=[[Dagsavisen]]|date=18 November 2006|language=Norwegian|accessdate=1 August 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814185848/http://www.dagsavisen.no/innenriks/article268908.ece|archivedate=14 August 2009}}</ref> and the [[Liberal Party (Norway)|Liberal Party]] ahead of the [[2001 Norwegian parliamentary election]], 2009 and 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sak.oslo.kommune.no/doc/internet/bysforh/20011128/011128%20-%20ferdig-18.asp|title=Forhandlinger i Oslo bystyres møte onsdag 28. november 2001 kl. 15.00|publisher=Oslo Municipality|date=28 November 2001|language=Norwegian|accessdate=1 August 2010}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and the [[Conservative Party (Norway)|Conservative Party]] ahead of the [[2007 Norwegian local elections]] and 2015, and [[2009 Norwegian parliamentary election]] and 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://e24.no/makro-og-politikk/article2396822.ece|title=Han er ansatt som Høyres "torpedo"|author=Ertzaas, Pål K.|author2=Hegvik, Gunn Kari|work=[[Verdens Gang]]|date=29 April 2008|language=Norwegian|accessdate=1 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dn.no/forsiden/politikkSamfunn/article1714789.ece|title=Avsluttet leserbrev med sjekk på 1.000.000,-|work=Dagens Næringsliv |date=1 August 2009|language=Norwegian|accessdate=1 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.partifinansiering.no/a/ |title=Partifinansiering |access-date=2017-05-23 |archive-date=2016-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917174705/http://www.partifinansiering.no/a/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He donated 2 million kroner to the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/politikk/i/4BPG6E/christen-sveaas-gir-2-millioner-til-krf|title=Christen Sveaas blar opp for KrF: – Vil forhåpentlig sikre et borgerlig flertall|work=[[Aftenposten]]|date=29 July 2025|language=Norwegian|accessdate=29 July 2025}}</ref> ahead of the [[2025 Norwegian parliamentary election]].

==Personal life== Christen Sveaas is the son of Anders Sveaas Jr (Son of Consul Anders Sveaas, founder of AS Kistefos Træsliberi) and Marit Sveaas (née Hansen, granddaughter of Consul Hans Jørginus Hansen from Trondheim), and grew up in Oslo.<ref name="Lars Lent Viljen 2014, p255-270"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sveaas, Christen}} [[Category:1956 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Oslo]] [[Category:Norwegian expatriates in Switzerland]] [[Category:Venture capitalists]] [[Category:University of St. Gallen alumni]] [[Category:Norwegian art collectors]] [[Category:Norwegian restaurateurs]] [[Category:Harvard Kennedy School people]] [[Category:Norwegian landowners]] [[Category:Gay businessmen]] [[Category:Norwegian gay men]] [[Category:Norwegian LGBTQ businesspeople]] [[Category:21st-century Norwegian LGBTQ people]] [[Category:21st-century Norwegian businesspeople]] [[Category:Collectors from Oslo]] [[Category:Philanthropists from Oslo]]