S tefan Persson is a Swedish retail magnate who transformed his family's clothing store into the global fast-fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz (H&M). He is the son of Erling Persson, who founded the company in 1947. Stefan took over as CEO of H&M in 1982 and held the position for 16 years, during which he was the architect of the company's massive international expansion, turning a primarily Swedish retailer into a ubiquitous global brand.

After stepping down as CEO, he served as the company's chairman for 22 years, continuing to guide its strategy. In 2020, he passed the chairmanship to his son, Karl-Johan Persson, marking a transition to the third generation of family leadership. Stefan remains the company's largest shareholder through his family's private holding company, and his controlling stake in H&M makes him the richest person in Sweden. Beyond H&M, he has also built a significant private real estate portfolio with properties across Europe and the United States.