History of Rasmus Otto Mønsted

Danish merchant and manufacturer

The Danish margarine manufacturer Otto Mønsted was born on 23 November 1838 at Lyngsbækgård in Ebeltoft and died on 4 September 1916 in Copenhagen as the richest man in Denmark. He was quoted for saying: “Money is not the best. But being able to earn it, in my opinion, is immensely enjoyable.”

In 1865 he settled down as a merchant of butter, corn and other food products, and in 1883 he built the first margarine factory in Denmark – Aarhus Butterine Co. It was followed, among other things, by perhaps the largest margarine factory in the world, built in London in 1894. He got married to Anne Sophie Broge in 1870, and in 1899 the family moved from Aarhus to Copenhagen. His company Otto Mønsted A/S was founded in 1909, with Otto Mønsted himself as chairman. The company’s primary trademark was OMA, an early three-letter abbreviation of Otto Mønsted Aarhus. It was included in the company slogan: “Say the name OMA”, which in itself was a sign of Otto Mønsted’s talent for both branding and marketing.

He and his wife were childless, and in accordance with their will, Otto Mønsted’s Foundation was created in 1934 after the death of the surviving Anna Mønsted. All stocks in Otto Mønsted A/S were transferred to the Foundation. The company continued producing margarine until 1981, when the margarine production was sold. Otto Mønsted A/S has been an investment company ever since, and its profits constitute the base of the grants awarded by Otto Mønsted’s Foundation.