Finnes divests stock holdings amid scrutiny of Solberg’s tenure as prime minister

Former Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s husband, Sindre Finnes, is taking steps to fully divest from his stock holdings amid concerns over potential conflicts of interest during her tenure as prime minister until 2021. After revelations about his stock trading last autumn, Finnes committed to selling all shares in publicly listed companies before the 2025 election season begins.

As of early 2024, Finnes had holdings in eight publicly traded companies, including Argeo, ABL Group, Vistin Pharma, and Nordic Mining. Recently, he has completely divested from two companies: Wallenius Wilhelmsen, where he held 1,000 shares at the start of the year, and ABL Group, in which he had 10,000 shares.

Despite these sales, Finnes still retains shares worth over 2.1 million NOK (approximately $200,000) in six companies, with three months remaining to fulfill his commitment to his wife. He stated, “I pledged to sell all my shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange during 2024, and I am in the process of doing just that.”

Additionally, Finnes recently sold 10,000 shares in Nordic Mining, leaving him with 35,000 shares, which are valued at approximately 980,000 NOK after the sales. The stock price for Nordic Mining has risen by 66 percent this year.

In a recent commentary, Finnes mentioned that he coordinated his selling strategy with his employer, acknowledging regulatory guidelines at Norsk Industri, which is associated with the companies involved. Solberg expressed her satisfaction with Finnes’ adherence to their agreed-upon plan, emphasizing her anticipation of focusing on politics this autumn, free from past distractions.