Alfred Kordelin

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Alfred Kordelin (b. November 6, 1868, Rauma - d. November 7, 1917, Lammi) was a Finnish entrepreneur. Kordelin was one of the best-known Finnish entrepreneurs of his time.

Kordelin was not a very educated person. He was the son of a poor seaman from Rauma. Kordelin created a thriving business investing in the fields of weaving, shipbuilding and metalworking, and became one of Finland's richest men. Alfred Kordelin's legal advisor was reserve judge Risto Ryti, who later became president of Finland.

Kordelin owned Mommila and Jokioinen manor houses and a steammill in Reposaari. He invested a large amount of money in different companies. Kordelin had no wife or children so he built a summerhouse in Naantali, called Kultaranta. Kultaranta is currently owned by the Government of Finland, for use as the president's summer house. Kordelin himself spent only one summer at Kultaranta. On the 7th of November, 1917, a Russian cossack shot Kordelin dead in the so-called Mommila skirmish.

Kordelin gave all his property and land to a Finnish cultural foundation. With his money the Alfred Kordelin Foundation was later founded. In 2003 a scholarship of about €2.3 million was given to help promote literature, science, art, and for public education.