[1] He was born at the village of Nedenes in Øyestad (now Arendal) in Aust-Agder, Norway.
[2] After the death of his father-in-law in 1691, Christensen took over the business and became the dominant merchant in Mandal.
During the Great Northern War (1700-1721), he controlled large parts of the timber trade from the valley of Mandalen.
As the dominant employer, merchant, creditor and landowner in Mandal, he ran the small town almost like a business.
He held several farms, several with salmon fishing rights, including Halshaug gård in Vest-Agder which was located at the mouth of river Mandalselva.