Lena Kallersjö has been the wife of the Swedish singer and songwriter, Björn Ulvaeus for 44 years now. Her husband formed the Swedish pop group ABBA in 1972 alongside Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
Lena used to be a music journalist but she became famous because of her husband. At the moment, she is reportedly battling leukemia. She is not the only one who has health challenges as her husband has also suffered from severe long-term memory loss. The couple’s marriage of four decades is now threatened with Lena’s incurable form of Leukemia.
Here Are 10 Interesting Details About Lena Kallersjö
1. Lena Kallersjö’s early life and background
Lena is rather a private person and has tried to keep her personal life away from the media’s scrutiny. However, her husband was born in Gothenburg on 25 April 1945 to his parents Aina Eliza Viktoria and Erik Gunnar. He was raised together with his only sister, Eva Margareta.
2. How old is Lena Kallersjö?
According to reports, the Swedish music journalist is currently 76 years old. Her husband on the other hand is 80 years old at the moment. The age gap between the couple is four years.
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3. She met her husband one week after he divorced his first wife
Björn Ulvaeus met his first wife, Agnetha Fältskog while he was filming a nostalgic schlager for television in March 1969. After dating for a while, the two tied the knots on July 6, 1971. The marriage produced two children Linda Elin and Peter Christian.
Unfortunately, the marriage did not last forever. In 1979, the two separated, and their divorce was finalized in July 1980.
According to reports, Björn found love one week after the separation. On New Year’s Eve, the singer met his wife, Lena at the party.
4. Lena has two children
In 1982, Lena Kallersjö and her husband welcomed their first child together, Emma Eleonora on January 3. Their second daughter, Anna Linnea was born on April 29, 1986.
While she has two children, her husband has four children in all, two from his previous marriage.
5. Lena Kallersjö’s career as a music journalist
Björn’s wife has been cited as a music journalist but she has not revealed much about herself and her career. However, her husband has been in the limelight since 1983.
Before ABBA was formed, Björn was a member of the Swedish folk-schlager band Hootenanny singers called West Bay Singers. He is also a co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina fran Duvemala, and Mamma Mia. He also co-produced the films Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again together with his friend Benny Anderson.
The group was made up of two married couples: Bjorn and Agnetha Faltskog; Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson. However, the two couples were divorced by the time the group ended its stellar time in the limelight.
Aside from his successful music career, Lena’s husband has composed quite a number of songs which is why he was appointed President of CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and composers in 2020.
Here are some of his solo singles and albums:
- 1968: “Raring” (Swedish version of “Honey”)
- 1968: “Fröken Fredriksson” (Swedish version of “Harper Valley PTA”)
- 1969: “Saknar Du Något Min Kära” (Swedish version of “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)
6. Lena Kallersjö’s husband has been accused of not paying back taxes
The Swedish singer was accused by the Swedish tax agency of failing to pay 90 million kr (US$12.8 million) in back taxes for about eight years ending in 2005. The case became a controversial one when the agency claimed he had laundered his music royalty income through different institutions in several foreign countries.
In 2008, the country administrative court decided the case in Ulvaeus’s favor and it was ruled that he never owed the government.
7. Lena and her husband have been open about her sickness
Lena’s ill health has made her take some tough decisions even though the doctors did not say how long she has left. The news of her illness affected her family especially during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
In 2003, doctors discovered she had four hazelnut-sized lumps in the throat, and shortly after a while, she got diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
However, the sickness has not darkened her spirit as she is reportedly very cheerful and full of life.
8. Her husband became a cash-free campaigner after his son was robbed
Several years ago, Björn’s son was reportedly robbed and that prompted the singer to become an advocate for the electronic payment movement. He was referred to as Sweden’s highest-profile cash-free campaigner.
According to the singer, cash was the main cause of crime. Ever since he has reportedly been living cash-free and the ABBA The Museum has also operated cash-free too.
9. Where is Lena Kallersjö now?
The 76 year-old is reportedly living with her family on a private island in Djursholm in Danderd municipality north in Stockholm. She enjoys spending time with her family especially her grandkids.
10. What is her net worth?
At the moment, Lena does not have an exact net worth but that of her husband is said to be around $300 million. His net worth has accumulated throughout his career.
Björn Ulvaeus has invested his wealth in real estate and he reportedly has properties across Europe. In 2005, Lena’s husband purchased a new home on the island of Viggo in the Stockholm archipelago and it cost 6.7 million kronor.
