Introduction
ABBA’s name was brought back into the spotlight when the film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again hit theaters this summer, featuring many of the group’s classic songs.
ABBA was not just an ordinary pop group—they were made up of two real-life couples. Agnetha was married to Björn, and Benny was in a relationship with Frida. Both marriages eventually came to an end, in 1979 and 1981 respectively. Despite their personal breakups, the group continued writing and recording music until their official split in 1982.
The lives of each ABBA member became quieter and more private after the group disbanded. In 2016, ABBA made their first public appearance together after many years apart. They attended the opening of the Mamma Mia! restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. Although they did not arrive together, all four members posed for a group photo on stage.
A few months later, the group reunited to perform at a private party celebrating the 50th anniversary of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson’s musical partnership—the duo who helped shape ABBA’s sound. However, the members have admitted that a full reunion remains extremely difficult.
Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad
After ABBA stopped performing, Frida pursued a solo singing career, releasing successful albums between 1982 and 1984 such as Something’s Going On and Shine. By 1996, she stepped away from the music industry to focus on charity work and environmental campaigns.
In 1992, Frida married Prince Heinrich Ruzzo of Plauen and became a princess. Sadly, Heinrich passed away in 1999, leaving Frida a reported inheritance of $103 million, according to The Sun. Just a year earlier, in 1998, she suffered another devastating loss when her daughter died in a car accident.
Born in 1945, Frida now lives in a small village in Switzerland with her partner Henry Smith. She was also one of the key contributors to the creation of the ABBA Museum, which opened in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013.
Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson was the keyboardist of the group and one of the two main songwriters behind ABBA’s iconic hits. After his divorce and the band’s breakup, Benny became involved in various music projects, promoting Swedish folk music. He also formed his own band, Benny Anderssons Orkester (known in English as Benny Anderssons Orchestra). Their most recent album was released in 2016.
In 1981, shortly after finalizing his divorce from Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, Benny married Swedish TV presenter Mona Nörklit, and they had a son together.
Benny struggled with alcohol addiction for many years and eventually entered rehab. He has been sober since 2001. According to Veckans Affärer, Benny is now one of Sweden’s wealthiest individuals, with an estimated net worth of $170 million.
Bjorn Ulvaeus
After ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus focused on composing music for stage musicals such as Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!. He and Benny remained in contact and co-produced the films Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). Together, they also founded Littlestar, a London-based company that manages the rights to music inspired by the Mamma Mia! musical. According to Time, Björn and Benny earned $4.3 million from this work.
In 1981, Björn married journalist Lena Källersjö, and they had two daughters. For business reasons, the family spent much of the next decade living in the UK before eventually returning to Stockholm in the late 1990s. Björn also owns NoteHeads, a company that develops music notation software.
In a 2008 interview with host Fredrik Skavlan, Björn revealed that he suffers from memory loss and no longer remembers many of the significant events in his life.
Agnetha Faltskog
Agnetha was one of the two lead female vocalists of the group. Like Frida, she pursued a solo career after ABBA disbanded, releasing several albums—though they did not achieve significant success.
Agnetha Fältskog is known as one of the most private members of the group. She lives in seclusion in the village of Ekerö, west of Stockholm. Due to a fear of flying following a 1979 accident, she canceled the global promotional tour for her 2004 album My Colouring Book. Agnetha began appearing more publicly in 2013, when she released the album A. She gave interviews and spoke openly about her life choices, telling The Guardian:
“I think I’m very down-to-earth. My life is full—with children, grandchildren, dogs, houses… I have a life of my own.”
In the early 2000s, Agnetha began a relationship with Gert van der Graaf—a neighbor who introduced himself as a fan. They were together for two years. After the breakup, the man began stalking her and issuing threats, which left Agnetha frightened and led her to take legal action. Gert van der Graaf later admitted that he had spent his entire fortune trying to get close to her. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
Following her second divorce in 1990 from Tomas Sonnenfeld, Agnetha has remained quiet about her private life. Even in her later years, she continues to live in solitude.