More Details of Nazi Past Haunt IKEA Founder

You may never feel the same way about buying cheap furniture again: IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was a member of Svensk Socialistisk Samling, a new book reveals. Swedish journalist Elisabeth Åsbrink reveals a 1943 file opened on Kamprad by the secret service, which concluded Kamprad must have held “some sort of official position” within the radical party, which was initially similar to Germany's Nazi Party and even adopted the swastika as its first party emblem.

The book also quotes letters sent by a 17-year-old Kamprad detailing his excitement about recruiting new members to the movement. The now-85-year-old billionaire has long tried to overcome the “stain” of his far right involvement, the Daily Telegraph notes, and said in 1998 that "there would be nothing hidden." Åsbrink’s book proves he was an active member of the Svensk Socialistisk Samling for the first time. A rep for Kamprad called her findings "old news." (More Ingvar Kamprad stories.)