József Váradi started Wizz Air and now leads the company. He is 60 and has no plans to stop working. Last year, he earned £3.3 million. He wants to keep building the business rather than spend his time on a beach.
Váradi grew up in Hungary under Soviet control. His father went to prison for his part in the fight against Soviet rule in 1956. After prison, his father could not find regular work for years. His mother worked in a factory to support the family.
Váradi studied how money and business work and finished university in 1989. He later became the head of Malév Hungarian Airlines. A change of government cost him that job in 2003. A few months later, he started Wizz Air.
He expected more people to want cheap flights when Hungary joined the European Union. Wizz Air now has 265 planes and flies to 50 countries. More than 550 million passengers have travelled with the company.
Váradi spends around 800 hours a year flying. He has four children and makes time for his family. He has no plans to retire.
