Sven Salén was a young man but armed with valuable experience from his first, tough years in the shipping business. He was gregarious but with a shy side that stopped him from talking about himself. Socialising and public speaking came easily to him. He was interested in a wide variety of sports in addition to sailing and motor racing. Skiing was among them and would be significant later in life.

Sven Salén plunged into this risk-filled business as a company director for Banan-Kompaniet, in charge of its steamer section. He chartered a few ships and in April 1922 began importing the fruit on the Caledonia, which docked on 7 April to great media and public hullabaloo and off-loaded 6,700 bunches of bananas in Göteborg harbour.

Read the chapter (the book opens in a new tab)