D an Olsson is a Swedish billionaire and the head of the family that controls the Stena Sphere, a massive and highly diversified privately held conglomerate. The company was founded by his late father, Sten Allan Olsson, in 1939 as a trading company and was built into a shipping giant. Dan took over the leadership of the group in the 1980s and has since vastly expanded and diversified its operations.
The Stena Sphere is a sprawling and complex empire with core businesses in ferry lines (Stena Line), shipping (Stena Bulk), offshore oil drilling (Stena Drilling), and real estate. The group also has significant interests in finance and recycling. As the CEO and now chairman of the main holding company, Dan Olsson has been the strategic mind behind the group's global expansion for decades. The company remains wholly owned by him and his siblings, Jenny and Madeleine, and is known for its long-term perspective and its discreet, family-controlled culture.
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Dan Sten Olsson is a Swedish businessman, the CEO of Stena Sphere, one of Sweden's largest privately held multinational conglomerates. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1947, he is the son of the founder, Sten Allan Olsson (d. 2013), who started the business in 1939 as a trading company specializing in steel, iron, and scrap metal.
Olsson's background is deeply rooted in maritime and industrial commerce. His father was a skipper and ship owner, which influenced the company's early pivot to shipping. Dan Olsson graduated from the Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law. He joined the family business, Stena Sphere, in 1972 and quickly ascended to the core management team, preparing him for generational succession.
Dan Sten Olsson assumed the role of CEO of Stena Sphere in 1983, guiding the company through a massive period of diversification and growth. Under his leadership, the conglomerate transformed from a primary shipping and metal trading company into a vast empire spanning three main parent companies: Stena AB, Stena Sessan AB, and Stena Metall AB.
His strategic vision focused on integrating logistics with shipping and expanding into high-value assets, including the successful launch of Stena Line (one of the world's largest ferry operators), Stena Bulk (tanker shipping), Stena Fastigheter (property/real estate), and offshore drilling. Olsson controls a 51 percent stake in the company, ensuring the family's continuous, profitable, and stable management of the multi-billion dollar enterprise, which has remained profitable since its founding in 1939.
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Joins the family business; the business is divided into Stena Line AB and Stena Metall AB (Corporate Restructuring).
Stena Fastigheter (Property) is founded (Diversification).
Becomes CEO of Stena Sphere (Executive Leadership).
His father, Sten Allan Olsson, transfers ownership to his children (Generational Transition).
Continues as CEO and majority owner (51 percent), guiding the global expansion (Executive Leadership).
Dan Sten Olsson's wealth is concentrated in his majority (51 percent) ownership and executive leadership of the private industrial conglomerate, Stena Sphere.
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Dan Sten Olsson's social impact is structural, stemming from Stena Sphere's role as a massive employer and a foundational provider of essential shipping, logistics, and ferry services across Europe and globally. The company's commitment to industrial and maritime excellence provides thousands of stable jobs.
His personal philanthropy often supports educational and cultural initiatives in Gothenburg and across Sweden. His structural contribution is the successful leadership of one of Sweden's largest family-owned businesses, maintaining long-term profitability and industrial stability.
Dan Sten Olsson maintains the professional, formal style of a Swedish industrialist CEO. His attire is consistently high-quality, favoring tailored business suits, reflecting his high-level corporate authority. His aesthetic is one of stability and focused competence.
Residing in Gothenburg, Sweden, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is defined by his commitment to maritime and industrial excellence, maintaining the profitability and stability of a private conglomerate that is essential to European trade and travel.
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“Stena has remained profitable since 1939. You don't get there without discipline and a long-term view.”
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+0.1% | +$3.16M
+0.04% | +$1.38M
This profile is compiled from verified biographical and financial records:
All information is cross-referenced with public sources for accuracy; some narrative sections are AI-assisted summaries.
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