Olav Thon (29 June 1923 – 16 November 2024) was a Norwegian real estate developer. His Olav Thon Group is Norway's largest private real estate company, with 450 properties, including 60 hotels.[1][2] Thon began his career by selling animal fur shortly before World War II in Oslo, and he opened his first restaurant in 1966.[1]
Early life
Thon was born on 29 June 1923 in Ål, Hallingdal, Norway. His parents were businessman Sevat Embrikson and Margit Engebretsdatter Dok.[3] Thon started his business career as a boy at home on the family farm in Ål, where he farmed fur animals and bought and sold skins from foxes, squirrels and rabbits.[4]