The Old Country Newsletter – Finländsk Vinst & Svensk Dominans

Your Weekly Swede-ish

Walter Hoving: The Revitalizer of Tiffany & Co.

Did you know that the man who gave new life to Tiffany & Co., Walter Hoving, had Swedish roots? Born in 1897, Hoving was the son of Swedish immigrant Johannes Hoving, a surgeon who came to the U.S. from Stockholm. Walter Hoving made his name in the luxury retail world, first at Lord & Taylor before acquiring Tiffany & Co. in 1955. Under his leadership, the brand became synonymous with elegance and exclusivity. Beyond business, Hoving was a passionate philanthropist and art collector. So next time you see that iconic Tiffany blue box, remember—it has a little Swedish-American history behind it!

Kaj Wins Melodifestivalen 2025 in a Thrilling Showdown

Sweden has spoken, and the sauna is officially heading to Basel. Humor group Kaj clinched victory in a nail-biting Melodifestivalen final, securing their spot as Sweden’s Eurovision representatives this May.

The competition came down to a fierce battle between fan-favorite and former Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw and Kaj. But with 12-point boosts from Greece, Norway, Ireland, and Italy, plus the most viewer votes, Kaj sealed the win with 164 points—just seven ahead of Zelmerlöw.

The trio, childhood friends from Österbotten, Finland, have long been local favorites, entertaining audiences in Vörådialekt for over 15 years. Their energetic performance ignited ‘sauna fever’ across Sweden, and now they’re taking that hype to the Eurovision stage.

As for their song’s bilingual mix of Finnish and Swedish? "We’d love to keep it as is," said Axel Åhman. "It’s time for original languages to shine at Eurovision."

Meanwhile, second placed Måns Zelmerlöw found himself in the spotlight for a different reason. Zelmerlöv was visibly disappointed, saying he would probably not want to compete at Melodifestivalen again, and even leaving the greenroom after the results were announced. Criticism poured in on social media, with some calling his reaction unsportsmanlike.

Zelmerlöw fired back on Instagram, writing, "How does that make me an a**hole?" and defending his right to feel disappointed. "I wanted to win. That has to be okay, right? It's a competition!" he added, while still congratulating Kaj on their victory.

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Sweden’s Frida Karlsson closed out the World Championships in Trondheim in spectacular fashion, taking gold in the grueling 50km race after a dramatic sprint to the finish.

Battling through tough conditions, Karlsson outpaced Norway’s Heidi Weng and Therese Johaug in the final meters to secure her first individual world title. “It’s just a wave of emotions right now,” she told Viaplay, reflecting on a season riddled with setbacks.

The race was a tactical showdown between Karlsson, teammate Ebba Andersson, and Norwegian powerhouses Weng and Johaug, who took turns leading the pack. But just before the final sprint, heartbreak struck—Andersson clipped Karlsson’s ski and fell, losing her shot at another medal. Visibly emotional, she admitted, “It hurts so much right now.”

With this victory, Sweden swept all six women’s gold medals at the championships, cementing their dominance in Trondheim.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news in The Old Country, you’ve probably heard a lot about Northvolt’s troubles.

Once hailed as a cornerstone of Sweden’s green-tech revolution, the battery manufacturer has now filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, marking one of the country’s biggest corporate failures in modern history.

The decision came late Tuesday night during an emergency board meeting, and by Wednesday morning, Northvolt AB, along with several subsidiaries, had officially entered bankruptcy proceedings. Interim chairman Tom Johnstone called it a “heartbreaking” moment, adding that the company had “explored every possible option” to avoid collapse. Despite efforts to restructure, emergency liquidity support, and even a Chapter 11 process in the U.S., Northvolt couldn’t secure the financing needed to continue operations.

With roughly 5,000 employees—mostly in Skellefteå, but also in Västerås and Stockholm—the fallout is massive. Workers were informed early Wednesday, many reportedly in shock over the news. "We aimed to build something groundbreaking," Johnstone said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we couldn't make it work."

Northvolt’s biggest challenge? Scaling up production. The company set out to manufacture batteries from raw materials to recycling, but struggled to turn its ambitious plans into reality. Now, a court-appointed administrator will oversee the sale of assets, while Northvolt’s operations in Germany and North America remain unaffected—at least for now.