Andreas Cervenka was born on April 1, 1974, in Uppsala. His parents fled Czechoslovakia during the Soviet invasion in 1968. He is a Swedish economic journalist and the author of several books on economics. He has worked for Svenska Dagbladet and Dagens Industri and is currently employed at Aftonbladet.

In 2000, Cervenka co-founded the news portal Ekonomi24 with Thomas Peterssohn, for which they received the Stora Journalistpriset (Great Journalism Prize) in the New Media category in 2001. The same award was given to Andreas Cervenka and Torbjörn Isacson in 2015 in the Revelation of the Year category for their series of articles about SCA, a company involved in logging and wood processing. Their investigations exposed multiple abuses, including the excessive use of private company jets for vast sums of money, ultimately leading to the downfall of several board members.

Cervenka wrote his first book, “Vad är pengar?” (What is Money?), in 2012. The book was adapted into a theater play of the same name, which premiered in Stockholm in 2015. In Vad är pengar?, Cervenka explores the global economy and the various forces that shape it. Primarily focusing on criticizing the wealthiest individuals and banks, he educates readers about the economic system and financial world in an accessible and often humorous manner. A similar tone is found in his next book, “Vad gör en bank?” (What Does a Bank Do?), first published as an e-book in 2016. This time, the author focuses on banking activities, particularly in the context of the 2008 global financial crisis. He details various problems caused by the way banks operate and the tools they use.

Andreas Cervenka gained the most recognition for his book “Girig-Sverige” (Greedy Sweden), which you can purchase in our bookstore, Książki po szwedzku. The book was nominated for the August Prize and Adlibris Prize in 2022 in the nonfiction category. For this work, Cervenka received his third Stora Journalistpriset, this time in the Voice of the Year category. The book received excellent reviews from critics and readers, mainly for its blunt exposure of major issues in the Swedish economy and the vast gap between the super-rich and ordinary people. Cervenka often presents shocking statistics that highlight the problems he discusses. For example, between 1996 and the publication of the book, the number of billionaires in Sweden increased from 28 to 542. Using such examples, the author challenges globally accepted myths about Sweden, which is still perceived as a country of social equality and high taxes. However, as Cervenka demonstrates, social democratic policies have, in fact, turned Sweden into a haven for the wealthy.

Cervenka’s latest book, “Fuskbygget” (The Bubble), published in November 2024, targets the housing market. It serves as a sequel to Girig-Sverige and similarly focuses on economic issues. In his characteristic humorous and straightforward style, the author presents many alarming facts, such as the disproportionate rise in housing prices in Sweden compared to incomes, surpassing that of any other country in recent years. Cervenka highlights the growing class divide in today’s world.