When Ruben Rausing presented a new idea for packaging milk in 1952 many people shook their heads in disbelief. The invention, which he named Tetra Pak, looked like a miniature pyramid and was made out of paper. Some feared it would leak (渗漏); others said they would much rather stick to glass bottles.

In spite of this resistance (抵制), Rausing did not give up. Today his ideas are used all over the world. Since the 1950s, the Rausings have become one of the four richest families in the world. They run an international company producing some 30-40 billion units a year of packaging, for milk, cream, soft drinks and even table wine.

Ruben Rausing's idea was that milk should be packaged in a way similar to how sausage meat is crammed (塞入) into a skin. He invented a machine that produced a long paper tube that could be cut off and sealed at both ends after having been filled with milk.

His first model, the pyramid-shaped Tetra, soon became a hit. Shoppers found it lighter to carry than traditional milk bottles. But it had a serious disadvantage — it was taking up too much space in the fridge. So Rausing went on to make a small box. This model was easier to store, and is today the most common kind of packaging in many countries throughout the world. In Europe, one out of two milk packages are made from the Rausing empire. It has conquered a big market share in Asia and Australia. Ruben Rausing was not only a clever inventor. He also understood how to run a successful business. He and his two sons, Gad and Hans, built up Tetra Pak as a family-owned group of some 40 companies, almost all of them in the packaging industry.

Though their products are famous, the Rausings live a secluded life. They are wary of showing off their wealth and so try to avoid publicity, particularly since an attempt was made to kidnap (绑架) one of the family members some years ago.