Bo Jonsson Grip

Bo Jonsson Grip was a Swedish noble who was the richest man in the country in his time. He owned virtually two-thirds of the entirety of the Swedish realm, the whole of Finland and most of Sweden was his personal property.

Grip was a powerful Swedish noble and the highest royal official. In 1364 he helped Albert II of Mecklenburg to overthrow the King Haakon VI (r. 1362-1364) and to become Albert, King of Sweden (1364-1389). By 1374, Grip was so powerful that he had gained title to all of Finland. He owned lands, chateaus, and castles throughout the entire kingdom, extensive domains in Ostergotland, northern Smaland, and Jonkoping, with Ydre, Kind, and Tiust districts, and the castles of Stakeholm and Rumlaborg; Norrland and Ringstadholm castles; Forsholms castle, and the districs of Mark and Kind, of Vesergotland, and part of the Wennern shore; south-eastern Sodermanland, with Nykopings castle; Stockholm castle and south-eastern Upland; part of Vestmanland including Dalarne and the mining regions; most of Calmarlan with Calmar castle; Raseborg, Korsholms, Aby, Viborg, and Tavastehus castles.

He died in 1386 leaving to various persons and charities 57500 ounces of silver. According to the Swedish law of the time many of his assets needed to be returned to the crown, bur Grip appointed a group of eight Swedish nobleman and two bishops to manage his estate in trust, thus keeping it out of the king’s hands.