LEGO Tower of Orthanc One wonders how much Middle-earth’s Hobbits, wizards, elves and dwarves have contributed to the success and growth of the Lego company over recent years. It has now grown bigger than Hasbro, and become the second-largest toy company in the world.


The boss of Lego Group carries two business cards – one the usual kind and the other a Lego mini-figure in his likeness, complete with beard and glasses, with contact details on the back.

That kind of playful thinking has helped the Danish company become the world’s second-biggest toy maker as it clicks with fast-growing Asia and builds on its popular plastic bricks with video games and theme parks.

“We are seeing a society where the wealthier it becomes, the more room there is for what I call the business of play,” Chief Executive Jørgen Vig Knudstorp told Reuters in Singapore.

“In that I will include the role of play in education, the role of play in theme parks and family entertainment, the role of play in adult age.”

Video games are big business and Lego Group has “a major role through licensing arrangements” but the digital realm is a complement, not a replacement, for physical play, he said.

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