The Gatsby-like saga of a man who built an industrial empire amidst an era of relentless historical upheaval
Author: Sakari Siltala
Finnish original: Korkea peli. Teollisuustitaani Walter Ahlströmin elämä
Publisher: Siltala, 2023
Genre: non fiction
Number of pages: 569 pp
Reading material: Finnish original, English translation, Swedish translation
High Stakes is the unbelievable true story of how a small Finnish sawmill company called A. Ahlström Ltd weathered the rollercoaster years of the early twentieth century to become a thriving industrial powerhouse that is still in existence today.
Walter Ahlström (1875–1931) was a dauntless risk-taker, a self-taught technological visionary, a tough-as-nails business tycoon and a ruthless strikebreaker. During his time as the head of the family business (1896–1931), Finland struggled through Russification crackdowns and wwi, declaring its independence before succumbing to one of the most violent civil wars in modern Europe. Through all this chaos, Walter Ahlström succeeded in building up a business empire and personal wealth that was in the Finnish scale on par with the Rockefellers, Krupps or Wallenbergs. He became the country’s richest man, enamoured of luxury cars, sleek yachts, private railway cars and European spa resorts. The champagne flowed and the grand piano played. In this celebrated biography, Sakari Siltala carefully reconstructs the riveting story of fledgling Finland’s political and economic development. Through it all, Walter Ahlström was fated to play a game of high stakes.
“A masterpiece.” – Kulttuuritoimitus magazine
“Ahlström’s extraordinary life reads like a ready-made screenplay for a thriller.” –Kauppalehti Optio magazine
About the author:
Sakari Siltala