Meet Wizz Air’s CEO—his father was jailed under Soviet rule. Now, he’s on $4.4 million a year and would ‘rather keep building than sit on a beach’

József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air, was born in Hungary under Soviet rule. His father was jailed during the 1956 revolution and was subsequently denied steady employment for years. Váradi's mother worked factory shifts to support the family. Despite this difficult upbringing, Váradi went on to win a scholarship to one of Hungary's top universities and graduated as an economist in 1989.

He then worked briefly at a chemical plant and a paint factory before joining Procter & Gamble, where he spent a decade climbing the corporate ladder before joining Malév Hungarian Airlines as a manager in 2001. However, his contract was not renewed, and he founded Wizz Air later that year, predicting that Hungary's EU entry would boost demand for cheap flights.

Currently, Wizz Air is the most popular short-haul carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, with airlines serving nearly 200 airports in 50 countries and carrying over 550 million passengers. Váradi, who earned £3.3 million ($4.4 million) in salary last year, maintains an active lifestyle, flying more than 800 hours a year—more than the number of days he takes off from work. Despite his success, he remains committed to business growth rather than retirement.