Veikko Pakarinen, founder of Veikon Kone, dies at 96

Veikko Pakarinen, the Finnish appliance retailer who founded the Veikon Kone chain, has died at the age of 96, according to an obituary published by his family in Helsingin Sanomat.

Pakarinen, born in 1930, passed away in Helsinki on April 15, 2026, after a brief illness. He established Veikon Kone in 1962, growing it into Finland’s largest appliance retail chain before its closure in 2012 after 50 years in operation.