His father Henrik Alfred Wahlforss was an appreciated chemistry teacher in Polytechnical institute; his mother, Emilia Elisabeth née Långhjelm, was 24 years younger and originally from Ostrobothnia.

[5] In September 1911 Wahlforss signed up for mechanical engineering studies in his father's former workplace which had been in the meantime renamed University of Technology.

His strong areas were mechanics, physics, inorganic chemistry and economics, but in such subjects which required practical skills, as laboratory exercises, his ratings were "satisfactory".

For his master's thesis he made a complete and detailed calculation about textile factory economics and gained excellent rating, graduating in March 1916.

[6] Wahlforss started his working career as draftsman in Nobel arms company in Saint Petersburg in February 1916, but he returned to Finland already in May.

The work was technical and intense, as the company order book was full of ammunition and other military equipment to the Imperial Russian Army.

[6] Wahlforss's new workplace was in Fiskars rolling mill, where he was appointed workshop technical manager under Albert Lindsay von Julin.

Julin supported him a lot, sharing his experience and knowledge, but offered also a warning example about dangers of alcohol in business relations.

Wahlforss enjoyed his work; he led a team of younger engineers and got a lot of freedom at renewing the outdated facilities.

But soon times became turbulent – Carolus and Dutta Wrede were maltreated and captured for six days by workers and Russian seamen in November.

Labour movement was increasingly radicalising and the Fiskars factory was only protected by some dozen men with carbines who could have done little against the 500 workers, who, however, stayed calm during the soon following civil war.

[6] His personal involvement is unclear but it is strongly suspected that the troops he led participated in the executions of dozens of Red Guard soldiers in Nummi.

[6] In 1921 Wahlforss got an opportunity to demonstrate his business skills – he was appointed General Manager of Lehtoniemi shipyard and engineering works, which was another company partly owned by Carolus Wrede.

[8] The family moved back in Turku, when Wahlforss bought major share of textile factory Turun Verkatehdas in autumn 1923 jointly with investor Harry Olsson.

[8] In August 1925 Wahlforss started working for Viipuri textile distributor company Sofia Zweygberg, which had large debts and outstanding payments, and the managing director had recently died to a lightning strike.

[8] Ab Wärtsilä Oy, an iron works in Värtsilä, Northern Karelia, was in financial problems; the company was deeply in debt due to a long-time unprofitable operation.

Wahlforss decided to step up in degree of processing and soon the company started producing nails, band iron, radiators and other products.

[7] Wahlforss entered into politics at the end of the 1950s and he was selected with a large number of votes to the köping council of Espoo in 1960 municipal elections as a member of Swedish People's Party.

[7] Wahlforss participated in the so-called Honka alliance which was a wide-spectrum political project for overthrowing Urho Kekkonen in presidential elections of 1962.