Langaard was born at
Lillesand in
Aust-Agder, Norway as a son of sea captain Mads Christian Langaard (1774–1854) and Ellevine Ellefsen (1792–1874). He was a brother of
Mads Langaard In 1841, he moved to Christiania (now Oslo) with his brother Mads Langaard, who later founded Frydenlunds Brewery A/S. He entered the tobacco industry in 1849, and founded the eponymous company Conrad Langaard A/S in 1854. Starting from a tobacco factory in Oslo, the company eventually became Norway's largest wholesale distributor of tobacco products. Langaard was also a ship-owner, and became one of the wealthiest persons in Norway. Conrad Langaard died in 1897 and business management was then taken over by his only son Rasmus Langaard. The company he founded still exists as a division of
Olav Thon Group.
Olav Thon Group (
Olav Thon Gruppen) is owned by the
Olav Thon Foundation (
Olav Thon Stiftelsen). Olav Thon Group operates primarily in the retail and hotel sectors. It hold a position in shopping centers located in Norway and Sweden as well as Thon Hotels which is one of Norway's leading hotel chains. ==References==