Copenhagen Business School study reveals shift in Danish business elite

A new study from Copenhagen Business School (CBS) reveals that the Danish business elite has significantly changed in structure since 1973. The number of major players in central business networks has more than halved, as the landscape has shifted from a high concentration of small and medium-sized enterprises to a few massive corporations.

While the elite group is smaller, its economic influence remains substantial, with the network accounting for approximately 50 percent of Denmark's GDP. Large companies such as Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Lego, DSV, Vestas, and ISS now possess enough structural power to act independently without the need for broad coalitions or coordination with smaller firms to influence the political system.