THE founder of furniture store chain, Ikea, has died at the age of 91 – the company has announced.

Mr Kamprad, who famously pioneered flat-pack furniture, died at his home in Småland, Ikea said in a statement.

The company said that Mr Kamprad was "one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century".

Mr Kamprad "peacefully passed away at his home", according to the company's statement.

"He worked until the very end of his life, staying true to his own motto that most things remain to be done," the statement added.

The billionaire, who was born in 1926 in Småland, founded Ikea at the age of 17.

He used some money his father had given him as a gift for performing well at school despite his dyslexia.

Billionaire Mr Kamprad eventually stepped down from the company's board in 2013, at the age of 87.

Ikea now has 389 stores worldwide – including one in Southampton.

The name comes from Mr Kamprad's initials (IK), together with the name of the farm he grew up on - Elmtaryd (E)- and the nearby village Agunnaryd (A)

The company's retail sales totalled 36.4bn euros ($43bn, £30bn) in 2016

Its flat-pack furniture became iconic both for its affordability and for its picture-based assembly instructions.