He arrived with empty-handed and initially worked a variety of jobs, including as a magician in the refugee camps, before gradually becoming interested in the stock market.
By the time he had celebrated his 60th birthday in 1987, Szombatfalvy's wealth was estimated at 250 million Swedish Kronor, at which point he decided to stop active management of his stock.
In the book The Greatest Challenges of Our Time[8] he briefly analyzes the severe threats facing humanity issuing from four mega-problems: environmental damage, climate change, weapons of mass destruction and extreme poverty.
[10] Until his death in 2022, Szombatfalvy was the Chairman of the Global Challenges Foundation Board, which also included the former Fourth National Pension Fund's CEO and sustainable investment advocate, Mats Andersson, and Climate Professor Johan Rockström.
The foundation's assets predominantly consist of a donation from Szombatfalvy, which included roughly half of his fortune - around 500 million Swedish kronor.