Stein Erik Hagen, Norwegian businessman and founder of the Rimi discount store chain, died on May 4, 2026, after cardiac arrest.
He was 69. Hagen was chairman of Orkla and a major shareholder there, and through his family company Canica held large stakes in Steen & Strøm, Jernia and Komplett.
He founded Rimi with his father in the 1970s and later sold the chain to Swedish ICA and Ahold in the 2000s. According to Forbes, he was worth US$2.1 billion and ranked as the sixth richest person in Norway.
Stein Erik Hagen, 69, Norwegian businessman, founder of Rimi, cardiac arrest.