Aiming to dodge increased tax pressure.
SalmonBusiness has received confirmation from several independent sources that Oddvar Haugland has moved from Norway to Switzerland.
He is the son of Kjell and Kirsti Haugland, who are the main owners of Haugland Group with 50 percent of the shares in the company. The remaining 50 percent is divided equally between their sons Endre, Kristian, Rasmus and Oddvar Haugland. Haugland Group is the parent company of salmon farming firm Erko Seafood.
Operations director at Erko Seafood, Endre Haugland, confirms the move, but does not wish to comment further.
“I cannot comment on any personal matter on behalf of Oddvar,” he says when asked by SalmonBusiness.
“Norwegian Gannet”
The family company also owns 50 per cent of Hav Line Group, the company behind the much-discussed processing boat “Norwegian Gannet”, which last year received a ten-year dispensation from the fish quality regulation’s provision on “production fish” (low quality samon – ed. note).
The remaining 50 percent of Hav Line Group is owned by fish exporter Bård Sekkingstad through his investment company, Trient.
Oddvar Haugland owns, through his wholly owned investment company, Vortex, 12.5 percent of the Haugland Group.
According to Kapital, the family-owned company is valued at approximately NOK 3 billion (EUR 300 million), of which Oddvar Haugland’s estimated fortune is approximately NOK 375 million (EUR 38 million).
The 161 square meter apartment of Oddvar Haugland at Måseskjæret in Bergen, Norway, is currently for sale at Finn.no with an asking price of NOK 16.5 million (EUR 1.7 million).
SalmonBusiness has contacted Oddvar Haugland for a comment on the case, but the inquiry has not yet been answered.
Billionaire
Another salmon farmer, Anders Måsøval, has moved to Meggen, Switzerland, according to Dagens Næringsliv.
Anders Måsøval is a board member and major shareholder in the fish farming company Måsøval.
According to Kapital, Anders Måsøval is worth NOK 2.95 billion (EUR 290 million), and indirectly owns NOK 1.3 billion (EUR 130 million) worth of shares in Måsøval through his investment company Måsøval Invest.
The Måsøval family is also the largest shareholder in the Icelandic fish farming company Laxar.
The Måsøval group, which is controlled by the brothers Lars and Anders Måsøval, was started back in 1972. The brothers are third generation fish farmers.
Earlier this fall billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke, majority owner of the industrial conglomerate Aker and 50 per cent of Aker SalMar Ocean, moved to Lugano, Switzerland.
Røkke has a net worth of EUR 3.6 billion and is Norway’s 8th richest person. The self-made billionaire made his first millions by fishing pollock in Alaska.
