He was born in
Bergen to merchant Henrik Leganger Sundt and Sophie Catharina Ameln. In 1835 he became associated with the manufacturing company Edvard Hambro as a clerk. He started his own business in 1845, and had success as wholesaler in the textile trade, being lucky with the timing. In 1845 the first
cotton mills were established in Norway, and the first cotton
weaving mill, , was started in 1846 by
Peter Jebsen (1824-1892), the future husband of his daughter Sophia Catharina Sundt (1849-1912). Sundt also started as private banker, and invested large parts of his fortune in ships that were constructed in Bergen. He was co-stakeholder in the
Bergen Steamship Company. Sundt ran his business interests until in 1874 when he handed it over to his son Gerhard Sundt (1850-1910). ==References==