Arne Wilhelmsen

Arne Wilhelmsen is a citizen of Norway and he is well-known as the co-founder of the famous Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He features on the Forbes list of billionaires with a net worth of $1.0 billion.

Arne Wilhelmsen – Important Role in AWILHELMSEN

After graduating from the prestigious Harvard University, Arne Wilhelmsen took over his family business named AWILCO, a private ship owning and assets Company established in 1939. The company which was later renamed Anders Wilhelmsen & Co., developed rapidly under the dynamic leadership of Arne Wilhelmsen.

AWILHELMSEN grew to become one of the major shipping companies in Norway and started undertaking activities such as offshore oil services and real estate development. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AWILHELMSEN AS Holding Company. Arne Wilhelmsen has withdrawn himself from the major decision-making role of the company, but he still chairs the Board of the Holding company AWILHELMSEN AS.

Arne Wilhelmsen - Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

In spite of owning a successful family business, this remarkable Norwegian went on to build a brand new cruise-liner business from scratch. He planned a company that would cater to vacationers who like to cruise primarily in the exotic locales of the Caribbean Islands. In 1969, three prominent shipping companies, Anders Wilhelmsen and Company, I.M. Skauge and Company and later, Gotaas Larsen, founded the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. They were the first cruise-line company that ‘stretched’ an existing cruise by splitting it into two, adding a mid-section, and then putting it back.

The company even went on to open their own holiday destination – the Labadee at the North coast of Hispaniola. Recently, they also opened CocoCay, an exclusive island for Royal Caribbean guests in the Bahamas. The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is one of the top cruise-line companies offering excellent services in the international travel market.

By 1988, Arne Wilhelmsen gained complete control of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines company shares by buying it through Anders Wilhelmsen and Company.

Arne Wilhelmsen – Family

Arne Wilhelmsen and his wife, Lise Wilhelmsen, have three children named Arne Alezander Wilhelmsen, Bent Christian Wilhelmsen, and Peter Preben Wilhelmsen. The family resides at Oslo in Norway.

Arne Alezander Wilhelmsen has received a Master's of Business Administration degree from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. He joined his family business where he held many managerial positions. In 2003, he became an independent Director of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Arne Wilhelmsen – The Business Visionary

Wilhelmsen is an exemplary leader well-known for his insight and knowledge when it comes to his arena in business. With sheer integrity and creativity, he has multiplied the size of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He has a knack for identifying new avenues and exploring them without worrying too much about the risks involved. Wilhelmsen also owns a private property developing company, Linstow, which has its real estate market spread primarily in Norway and East Europe, as well as in the Baltic regions.

Arne Wilhelmsen – A Patron of Education and Environment

Arne Wilhelmsen has long supported many civic causes individually and through his family company. In 2009, he became the honored recipient of the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award.

Arne Wilhelmsen - The Billionaire

About Arne Wilhelmsen

Arne Wilhelmsen's Company History