LEGO Was Almost Broke. Now It Sells $1,000 Toys.

LEGO charged $650 for a Pokémon set, fans were furious, and it sold out in hours. Twenty-two years ago, the same company was nearly out of cash. So how did it go from its biggest loss to its best results ever? In this video we answer three questions: how LEGO went from near-collapse to the world's biggest toy maker, whether LEGO has really become more expensive, and who is buying all these expensive sets (and why Messi and Ronaldo ended up in the same LEGO ad). Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:41 From Near-Collapse to No.1 6:49 Is LEGO Really More Expensive? 8:53 Who Pays $1,000 for LEGO? 11:57 Messi, Ronaldo and the World Cup Trophy 14:21 Where LEGO Goes Next Key sources 1. LEGO Group — H1 2026 results: https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/ne... 2. NBC News — LEGO returns to profit, Knudstorp quotes (2006): https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11367083 3. Knowledge at Wharton — How innovation almost bankrupted LEGO (2012): https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/a... 4. The Wall Street Journal — Grown-ups are now a gold mine for LEGO (2024): https://www.tovima.com/wsj/850-millen... 5. HSE University — LEGO as an investment, study 1987–2015 (2021): https://www.eurekalert.org/news-relea... 6. Euronews — The LEGO World Cup ad with Messi and Ronaldo (2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/03/t... Figures as of November 2026. This video is not sponsored and is not investment advice. Returns on retired LEGO sets varied widely in the study cited. #LEGO #BusinessDocumentary #Messi