Juha Kärkkäinen

Juha Matti Kärkkäinen (born 31 March 1967) is a Finnish businessman and publisher who owns the Kärkkäinen chain of stores. In addition to this, he publishes the KauppaSuomi free-distribution magazine. He is also a supporter of the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement and the neo-fascist Blue-and-Black Movement.

Life and career Kärkkäinen, born into a farming family in Kiuruvesi, started his business career in 1988 as a travelling merchant. He opened his first store in Ylivieska in 1991.

Views Helsingin Sanomat described Kärkkäinen's view as "extreme right". He was radicalized in the United States, and once he returned to Finland he founded the Magneettimedia newspaper whose editor-in-chief he was. Later, he began to work together with neo-nazis. Magneettimedia continued as an online publication, and in 2015 Kärkkäinen handed over its rights to the Finnish resistance movement. Due to the verdict, Kärkkäinen also resigned from his company's CEO position for four months, but returned again in October 2013 after the new CEO fired himself.

Kärkkäinen's department stores have sold the well-known propaganda book Jewish supremacism by the American anti-Semite and supporter of white supremacy David Duke. Israel's ambassador to Finland and the American Simon Wiesenthal Center, which studies anti-Semitism, have also taken a stand on the anti-Jewish texts published by Kärkkäinen, who demanded a statement from the President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö. The same year, he also publicly denied the Holocaust and claimed that President of Finland Sauli Niinistö was affiliated with the New World Order.

Awards In 2014, the city of Ylivieska awarded Kärkkäinen for his merits with the Pro Ylivieska medal.