Sharing is Caring
Everybody recognizes the name. It is as mystique as Medici, Rockefeller, Agnelli, or Rothschild. In their maiden voyage joint appearance in front of a live audience, the Family’s 5th and 6th generation shared their learned wisdom and heritage at the Aalto University Töölö, Saastamoinen Foundation Keynote 2023 event on April 24, 2023 in Helsinki. Everybody was taken. Everyone learned some. There was nothing but a genuine spirit of sharing visible.
The Wallenberg ecosystem is profoundly predicated on the joint course of creating wealth while the family members are not direct owners or beneficiaries of the very same. Their sphere of foundations grants annually about SEK 2.6 billion to a wide range of academic purposes while ensuring that the underlying machinery performs. This is like a utopia: hardly comprehendible, almost beyond imagination.
There is no secret formula. It is about engagement and involvement. It is about sharing values and ensuring an ability to meet the requirement of change. Nobody is imposed, but everybody is welcomed. And in doing so, the Family strives on. Recognizing that “To move from the old to what is about to come is the only tradition worth keeping."
The political scenery imposes threats, but the view remains forever optimistic: collaboration between constituents will only surface more strongly in its' relative importance in times of difficulties. The role of the family changes, as does society, but value-sharing remains a source of force. And: this yield returns which again play to the benefit of all. Mastering business enables mastering academia and this benefits society. Wallenbergs remain extremely patriotic.
As there is no scientific manifestation or “rule of law,” we remain in awe. The setup can hardly be “copy-pasted.” At the same time, we left the occasion while understanding that there remains something extraordinary. Thank you for sharing. Sharing is caring.
Text: Karri Kaitue
