Denmark has recognised foundations being owners and having a controlling interest in companies since at least 1876. In 1985, Denmark enacted special legislation on enterprise foundations with the Danish Enterprise Foundation Law. Simultaneously legislation was enacted for all non-enterprise foundations, and Denmark has since had two separate pieces of legislation on foundations to thereby suit the different needs and requirements of these two types of foundations. Today the importance of enterprise foundations and their companies to the Danish economy cannot be understated and Danish legislation serves as an example of how to introduce enterprise foundations into a legal system.