Flemming Hansen and Mette Helbæk, the founders of Stedsans, a forest resort and restaurant in southern Sweden, have urgently left the country. In doing so, they left behind a mountain of human waste and millions in taxpayer debt. Tucked away in Halland, Stedsans comprises 16 rustic wooden cottages. Impressive views of untouched wildlife make these gorgeous cottages Instagram favorites and have won awards from thousands of users and critics alike. Prior to moving to Sweden in 2016, the duo operated an acclaimed rooftop restaurant in Copenhagen. They followed their inner daredevil, declaring that they “answered the call of the wild.”
A floating retreat, it received rave reviews for its singular beauty, earning adjectives like “magical” and “enchanting luxury.” The resort’s financial misfortunes eventually led to bankruptcy, which was announced in March of this year. In a shocking twist, Hansen and Helbæk allegedly re-registered their residence abroad right before Christmas. This move indicates they want to duck their responsibilities.
The founders were under a lot of financial strain, due millions of kroner to their tax authorities in Denmark and Sweden. Specifically, they were in debt to the Swedish tax authorities to the tune of about 6 million SEK (£470,000). They alleged that they owed over 7 million SEK to the Danish authorities. Hansen described the Swedish tax agency as a “narcissistic entity,” reflecting their frustrations with the financial burdens imposed on their business.
Beyond their debts, Stedsans has abandoned 158 BARRELS of human waste on the property! The environmental impact of this neglect has caused local lawmakers, including Maryland state legislators, to raise an alarm. The Chief of Building and Environment for Hylte County, Daniel Helsing, went straight to hell. He shouted, “Tada! We found more than 150 barrels of human waste.”
In their last letter to the editor, the couple admitted that bankruptcy was unavoidable. We could be in the soup. By the time you read this, we probably will have been declared bankrupt by the Swedish tax authorities. What they really longed for was to live and work in a more beautiful world. Even their vision for Stedsans turned out to be unsustainable in a difficult economic climate.
Since leaving Sweden, Hansen and Helbæk have apparently begun work on a new hotel venture in Guatemala. They have not released additional information on this project or how they plan to proceed from here.