Thomas Fredrik Olsen (born 1 January 1929) is a Norwegian shipping

magnate The term magnate, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

and Chairman of the companies in the Fred. Olsen & Co. company. He is the fourth generation running the Fred. Olsen Group, founded by his great grandfather

Petter Olsen Petter Halfdan Rudolf Fredrik Olsen (born 7 February 1948) is a Norwegian businessman, former billionaire and member of the Olsen shipping family, who own Fred. Olsen & Co. He is the younger brother of the current leader of the company, Fredrik ...

and named after his grandfather

Thomas Fredrik Olsen Thomas Fredrik Olsen (1897–1969) was a Norwegian ship-owner. Son of Fredrik Olsen and born in Hvitsten, he worked in the family company Fred. Olsen & Co. from 1920. He held a board position in a range of companies, including Det Norske Luftfa ...

. Though he remains the chairman of the companies,

ownership Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as '' title'', which may be separated and held by dif ...

and CEO functions are retained by his daughter Anette S. Olsen. In addition to his jobs within the Fred. Olsen group he was for a period also chairman of the Aker Group. Fred Olsen has been called "The Norwegian

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

" for his great wealth and avoidance of publicity. It was announced on 3 January 2006, that Fred Olsen was to sell almost his entire collection of

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...

paintings; the auction through

Sotheby's Sotheby's ( ) is a British-founded multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine art, fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...

London fetched almost £17m. Olsen has previously been involved in a legal dispute with his younger brother,

, concerning the important Munch collection brought together by their father

; according to the will of their mother Henriette Olsen, they were to be left to the younger son. Fred Olsen contested the will but lost the case in the

Oslo District Court Oslo District Court () is a district court located in Oslo, Norway. This court is based at the Oslo Courthouse in the city of Oslo. The court serves the entire city of Oslo and the court is subordinate to the Borgarting Court of Appeal. As the ...

in 2001. He is a fellow of the

Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences The Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences (, NTVA) is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway. Founded in 1955, the academy has about 500 members. It is a member of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technologica ...

References

1929 births Living people Fred. Olsen & Co. Norwegian businesspeople in shipping Norwegian billionaires Members of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences {{shipping-bio-stub