At 60, Wizz Air founder and chief executive József Váradi has no retirement date in mind. Despite earning £3.3 million last year, he says he would rather keep building than sit on a beach.
His outlook was shaped by a childhood in Soviet-controlled Hungary. Imprisoned for his involvement in the 1956 revolution, his father subsequently struggled for years to secure steady employment, while his mother worked factory shifts to support the family. Váradi says that experience taught him not to take circumstances for granted and to remain adaptable.
A scholarship helped him pursue higher education, and he graduated in economics from Corvinus University in 1989. After a decade at Procter & Gamble, he joined Malév Hungarian Airlines in 2001 and became chief executive five months later. When a change of government forced him out in 2003, he founded Wizz Air within months, anticipating that Hungary's forthcoming European Union membership would stimulate demand for inexpensive flights.
Wizz Air now operates 265 aircraft across 50 countries and has transported more than 550 million passengers. Váradi spends around 800 hours annually in the air, yet remains committed to making time for his four children. His emphasis on learning also continues: he established the Varadi Scholarship at UCL to help others access educational opportunities.
