The Kirk Kristiansen family founded the LEGO Group in Denmark in 1932 and still owns its parent company, Kirkbi.
Ole Kirk Christiansen established the business in Billund as a manufacturer of wooden toys. The name LEGO comes from the Danish phrase “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” The company began making its now-famous interlocking plastic bricks in the late 1940s, after initially producing wooden toys.
The family name is sometimes written incorrectly as Christiansen because Ole Kirk’s surname was Christiansen. However, the family’s modern business identity is Kirk Kristiansen, reflecting the founder’s middle name and the name used by the ownership family. Kirkbi owns the LEGO brand and major investments, while the LEGO Group operates the toy business.