Swedish furniture giant IKEA has expressly denied that a swastika-shaped table, branded Hadolf and costing 88 euros, is part of the company's official catalog. The doctored photo, claiming to be part of an IKEA catalog in Italy, has sparked widespread outrage after the image went viral in Germany, according to The Mirror.
"It is of course clear that such a table is not part of our program, either in Italy or anywhere else," a company spokesperson said.
IKEA further pointed out that the table's price, 88 euros, was a huge clue that the alleged table is a hoax. The number 88 is a known abbreviation code for the words "Heil HItler," due to the letter H being the eighth letter in the alphabet, reports Yahoo! Finance.
The flatpack furniture giant has stated that it is now pursuing legal action against the source of the doctored photograph.
IKEA considers Nazi Germany has a sensitive subject, especially since its founder, Ingvar Kamprad, has admitted to being a part of a Neo-Nazi group in his youth, according to The Daily Mail. The billionaire owner, currently ranked as the 162nd richest person in the world with a net worth of $5.4 billion, has called his brief involvement with Neo-Nazism as "stupidity" and "the greatest mistake of his life." He also asked his staff, particularly those with a Jewish lineage, for forgiveness.
For more Business News, click here.
