Thomas Fredrik Olsen (15 October 1857 – 29 January 1933) was a Norwegian businessman and ship owner of Fred. Olsen & Co. Thomas Fredrik Olsen (commonly known as Fred. Olsen) was born in the village of Filtvet in

Hurum Hurum was a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. As of 1 January 2020 Hurum has merged with the municipalities of Røyken and Asker to form the new Asker Municipality located in the newly formed Viken county. The administrative centre of the ...

municipality,

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Ha ...

County, Norway. Olsen was the son of ship owner

Petter Olsen Petter Halfdan Rudolf Fredrik Olsen (born 7 February 1948) is a Norwegian businessman, billionaire and member of the Olsen shipping family, who own Fred. Olsen & Co. He is the younger brother of the current leader of the company, Fredrik Olsen. P ...

(1821-1899), the father of Gösta Hammarlund, and the grandfather of

Fredrik Olsen Thomas Fredrik Olsen or Fred Olsen (born 1 January 1929) is a Norwegian shipping magnate and Chairman of the companies in the Fred. Olsen & Co. company. He is the fourth generation running the Fred. Olsen Group, founded by his great grandfather ...

. He took over as the owner of two of his father's

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships ...

s, and later invested in

steam ship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

s. Fred. Olsen took the company from a small business with a few boats into a powerful multinational shipping and ship building business. Olsen was the major shareholder of the workshop Akers Mek. At the time of his death his company, Fred. Olsen & Co., owned 65 ships. After Fred. Olsen's death, his sons

Rudolf Olsen Rudolf Fredrik Olsen (29 September 1882 – 26 January 1951) was a Norwegian shipping magnate and Chairman of Fred. Olsen & Co. Biography Rudolf Fredrik Olsen was born in Hvitsten, in Akershus county, Norway. He was the son of Thomas Frederi ...

and Thomas Olsen took over the company. Fred. Olsen was a prominent sailor, and won the Kiel Regatta in 1895. He was decorated Knight, First Class of the

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...

in 1911,and Commander, First Class in 1931. He was also named

Chevalier of the Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

References

External links

Fred. Olsen & Co.Fred. Olsen Ltd.Fred. Olsen, S.A.Timex Group B.V.
1857 births 1933 deaths People from Buskerud People from Hurum Norwegian sailors Businesspeople from Oslo in shipping Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur {{shipping-bio-stub