Below is Norway´s formueliste (wealth list) which shows the individual´s navn (name), inntekt (income), skatt (tax), and forume (wealth).

In addition to lutefisk season, it is also that time of year when the idea of almost complete transparency is proven in Norway.  The government makes individual Norwegians tax and wealth information available to the public.  As we all know, Norway is a social democracy in which men and women enjoy excellent equality (at least compared to most cultures) and the income gap is moderate.  Whether they like it or not, residents of Norway must accept that they live in a country where their financial and tax information are not private matters.

Tax authorities issue the skatteliste (tax list) which shows nearly every taxpayers annual income and overall net worth.  Some say it´s the Norwegian way to keep up the neighbors and where they stand.  Every year it stirs up media frenzy about how much this actor made or that athlete, or better yet, the oil tycoon or real estate king.

There are of course many people who find this transparency completely inappropriate and a violation of privacy.  Besides just not wanting others to have accessibility to private financial information purely on principle, many argue that this transparency leads to bullying on the playground (´my dad is richer than your dad´).

The information was made public this past Friday, however, it is not quite as easy to find the information as it has been in the past.  One can access the information by logging in as a user on the Skatteetaten (tax agency) website and searching for a particular link.  The media, however, can no longer publish the information directly.  This should cut down on the huge media frenzy that erupts every fall after the information becomes public.

Furthermore, it is important to understand that the information listed is fairly misleading, as the annual income figures are significantly less than the actual income earned over the past year.  This is because they are adjusted for deductions.  Net worth figures are also deceiving because they include tax valuations not based on the market value of real estate.  So, snoopers beware-the numbers do not always reflect reality.

You can find more information about specific individuals if you are snoopy yourself (or just curious…) at this website.

Johan H. Andresen is Norway´s richest man.  He used a massive tobacco inheritance to finance and build several other business ventures.