Stordalen has frozen his dog’s sperm

He owns over 200 hotels, but when Petter Stordalen himself mentions his best investment, it is something completely different – a dog kennel.

For his part, he has made sure to get “a perfect” dog.

– I have frozen my old dog’s sperm, says Stordalen. Petter Stordalen. Photo: SVEN LINDWALL

Entrepreneur and hotel owner Petter Stordalen is at Almedalen Week for the twelfth time. The highlight for the Norwegian himself is his own mingle, tonight Stordalen will welcome 1,500 guests to the hotel he owns in Visby.

– In addition, there are 400 people on the waiting list, it’s a mingle that has really grown over the years and that I’m very happy to be able to engage.

There is no doubt that Petter Stordalen, 62, is happy in Almedalen. He is even open to marrying his girlfriend Märta Elander Wistén, 35, in Almedalen.

– I’ve been married and divorced a couple of times, but I haven’t lost faith in love. Getting married is one of the nicest parties you can have, so I wouldn’t rule it out.

As the largest hotel owner in the Nordic region, Petter Stordalen is used to talking about his business and how he invests. But for Expressen, the Norwegian reveals that there is one company that he is a little extra passionate about. Namely, one of his lesser-known investments, the dog kennel Kustmarken.

– It’s easy to focus on the hotels and all that, but one of my finest investments is Kustmarken in Ljungskile where the owners Robert and Carina breed guide dogs that come to the aid of people who need them. They deliver 30-40 dogs per year that change other people’s lives.

– The only thing I get as a dividend is a new dog every nine years.

“Gives us returns every day”

Stordalen owns 40 percent of the dog company but is clear that he is not doing it for the money.

– Märta has a small terrier and I have a large German Shepherd, and it is impossible to put a monetary value on what these two dogs give us, they give us a return every day.

– I’m not saying it’s the smartest investment I’ve ever made, but it brings a lot of joy. I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life and a lot of investments have gone wrong. But you can’t focus on what’s going wrong, the road to success is lined with small failures.

Have frozen the dog’s sperm

Petter Stordalen’s love of dogs is so great that he made an unusual choice when one of his favorite dogs was about to pass away a few years ago.

– I have frozen my old dog’s sperm, Cross was wonderful and I want a perfect dog again.

Robert Jönsson, who runs Kustmarken, talks about the process.  

– Right now that sperm is at SLU and it will be used later. That was a dog that meant a lot to Petter. And if you lose dogs for sperm and then find the right bitch, the probability of a similar offspring increases again, says Robert Jönsson and highlights his partner Petter Stordalen’s involvement in the kennel.

– I have known Petter for over 20 years. He is an extremely ambitious, knowledgeable and energetic person who you can ask for advice on a lot of things, especially when it comes to finances. Petter has a big heart and I think that is why he chooses to work with a company like this that helps blind people, says Jönsson.