Watch on Soap2day. In the 1920s, Swedish engineer and industrial magnate Ivar Kreuger was one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. At the height of his success, the match manufacturer owned 260 factories and was the boss of 75,000 employees. He juggled dizzying sums of money and could afford every luxury. Bankers from all over the world supported his businesses and entrusted him with their money. But then the global economic crisis hit.