Wealthy business owner slams Red-Green Alliance over “outrageous” Facebook post

Danish billionaire Bent Jensen has condemned the left-wing Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) after the party published a Facebook post accusing him of “blackmail” for threatening to withdraw financial support from local community projects if a proposed wealth tax is introduced, DR reports.

The post, shared Friday evening, names Jensen—owner of the Sønderborg-based engineering firm Linak and ranked as Denmark’s 13th-richest person—as refusing to contribute “a small share of his vast billion-kroner fortune” under the tax plan backed by both the Social Democrats and the Red-Green Alliance. It has since drawn over 2,500 comments, with centre-right politicians rallying to Jensen’s defence.

“This is a witch hunt”
Venstre candidate Phillip Kjær Luscombe called the post “unworthy of a healthy democratic culture,” while Conservative candidate Rasmus Elkjær Larsen demanded the party “stop hunting private individuals.” Jan Køpke Christensen of the Citizens’ Party (Borgernes Parti) labelled the attack “completely unreasonable and below the belt,” urging the Red-Green Alliance to apologise.

Jensen, who currently donates DKK 5 million annually to local sports clubs, cultural events, and Syddansk University’s Sønderborg campus, told DR the wealth tax—estimated to cost him DKK 140 million yearly—would force him to halt all philanthropy. “We simply can’t afford it. There’ll be no more money to throw around left and right,” he said.

Party stands by criticism
Red-Green Alliance group leader Peder Hvelplund dismissed accusations of shaming Jensen, arguing the post was a direct response to the businessman’s own public statements in Berlingske newspaper. “He’s profited from free education, infrastructure, and healthcare—now he must contribute to the society that enabled his wealth,” Hvelplund said, adding that the party had previously targeted other high-profile opponents of the tax, including the owners of Harald Nyborg and Vestas.

Linak’s past donations include funding for Nordborg Resort, engineering programmes at Syddansk University, and the Back to the Roots music festival in Gråsten.