How Jorgen Vig Knudstorp Saved LEGO from the Brick

The CEO Diary with Fexingo: Leadership Lessons, Executive Decisions, and Corner Office Stories · Jul 30, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In 2003, LEGO was hours from bankruptcy. The company had over 13,000 distinct products, a sprawling theme park business, and no clear strategy. Enter Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, a young McKinsey consultant who became CEO at just 36. This episode unpacks how he cut product lines by 70%, sold off non-core assets like Legoland parks, and refocused the company on the humble plastic brick. He also embraced digital partnerships—from Star Wars licenses to the Lego Movie—that turned a near-death experience into a decade of record growth. We also look at how his leadership style, rooted in humility and…