Bertil Hult

Bertil Eric Hult
Bertil Hult running with the Olympic torch in China 2008
Born	1941 Stockholm, Sweden
Residence	Lucerne, Switzerland
Citizenship	Sweden
Occupation	Board member
Net worth	5 billion USD
Spouse(s)	Lisbeth Hult, married 1974
Children	4 sons

Bertil Hult (born 1941) is a Swedish business man who founded the educational and language school company, EF Education First, in 1965. In 1971, he moved from Sweden to Germany, and in 1977, he established EF's head office in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he now lives. He served as the company's CEO until 2002 and as chairman until 2008. Today, he is semi-retired. His two oldest sons, Philip Hult and Alex Hult, now serve as the company's co-chairmen and his third son, Edward Hult, is the CEO of EF Educational Tours. Under Bertil Hult's supervision, EF grew to a multi-billion dollar corporation with more than 40,000 employees in 53 countries.

Bertil Hult was born in Stockholm. He has spoken frequently about his struggles with dyslexia as a child. He dropped out of school after junior high and worked making coffee and running errands for a ship broker in London. He learned to speak English during this time and became convinced that immersion is the best way to learn a language. After returning to Sweden and taking up his studies again, he entered Lund University, then dropped out after one year.

Bertil Hult founded EF Education First at the age of 23, in the basement of his university dormitory in Lund, Sweden. He started EF as a language study and travel abroad organization, initially for Swedish high school students going to England to learn English. His childhood struggles with dyslexia convinced him that cultural immersion was a superior way to study a language.

He served as the company's CEO until 2002, as its chairman until 2008, and is now semi-retired. Under Bertil Hult's supervision, EF grew to become a multi-billion dollar corporation with more than 40,000 employees across 500 schools and educational programs in 53 different countries. EF continues to open language schools around the world, grow its online language school (EF Englishtown), place au pairs with American families, coordinate life-changing student travel and international exchange experiences. EF is affiliated with a business school,Hult International Business School, formerly the Arthur D. Little School of Management, which is named after Bertil Hult.

EF Education First is wholly owned by Bertil Hult and his family. Forbes estimates Bertil's net worth to be 5 billion USD as of March, 2015. He is a keen sailor and his boat, EF Education with skipper Paul Cayard, won the last Whitbread Round the World Race in 1998. Today, he sails on his boat Erica XII. The boat is known for hosting the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel on their honeymoon.