29 August 1869 — d. 16 December 1949)[1] was a prominent Finnish industrialist and philanthropist, who went from humble beginnings to own and run the largest shoe manufacturing business of its time in the Nordic region.

[1] Widell changed his original Swedish surname to the Finnish Aaltonen in 1890,[1] as was common during the Finnicization of names in the late 19th and early 20th century.

[1] The business continued to grow, acquiring competitors and setting up supply chain operations in leather production and shoe colour manufacturing.

The company was awarded Gold Medal at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, and by the end of the 1930s its product range covered 4,500 models and the operation employed over 1,300 staff.

Fuelled by Finland's industrialisation and military procurement, the business grew and expanded into new product lines, eventually employing 1,300 staff.

[1] In 1921, Aaltonen had invested in another new business, Sarvis [fi], the first manufacturer of plastic (galalith) products in Finland, located in the Hatanpää district.

[7] Despite his success in business, Aaltonen did not feel that manufacturing was his true calling; instead, he dreamed of being a farmer, and spent his spare time planning how to acquire a farm and grow and develop it to prosperity.

[1] Aaltonen's philanthropic ideas were evident from early on, as he built housing for his factory workers, and provided subsidised loans to those who wanted instead to purchase their own properties.

[1] Aaltonen began acquiring art already in the 1910s, with particular interest in early Finnish paintings,[9] eventually accumulating c. 250 pieces, and his purchase of Pyynikinlinna was also intended to house his collection, some of which is now on public display there.