Providentia

"After Ruben’s death, several dramatic events occurred. The first was the purchase of Alfa Laval. The deal was linked to liquidity problems for the Wallenberg sphere. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the group was heavily pressured by attacks from “raiders” such as Sven-Olof Johansson. It was clear to the strategists within the sphere that the construction of shareholdings divided between two separate holding companies, Investor and Providentia, was insufficient protection against attacks. Throughout history, the Wallenberg group had protected itself against hostile takeovers through differential voting shares. However, this was no longer enough. An investor who could mobilize large amounts of capital could theoretically wrest control from the Wallenberg family. The case with Sven-Olof Johansson had been worrying, a newcomer, with the help of borrowed capital, had managed to acquire a “corner position” in Saab-Scania, pushed the stock value sharply upward, and challenged the family’s control."

"I made my first stock transaction in high school with a purchase of ten Ericsson shares, which went brilliantly. So did a stock in Providentia, where my uncle Ibo was the CEO. However, five shares in Wifsta shipyard were an early slap on the wrist. After graduating, the interest in stocks became a real passion, and I exhausted many peers with my eagerness to talk about stocks."