Akio Morita

Born in Nagoya, Japan, in 1921, Akio Morita came from a long line of sake brewers, but his passion lay in electronics and physics. After graduating from Osaka Imperial University with a degree in physics, he served as a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, where he met Masaru Ibuka. In 1946, they co-founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, starting with a meager 190,000 yen and 20 employees. Their first product was a shortwave adapter for radios, followed by Japan's first tape recorder, the G-Type, in 1950. Morita's strategic genius became evident early on. He recognized the importance of branding and global markets. In 1955, he spearheaded the decision to rename the company 'Sony,' a combination of the Latin word 'sonus' (sound) and 'sonny' (a common American nickname), reflecting their desire for a global, easily pronounceable name. He personally moved to the United States in the late 1950s to establish Sony's presence, overcoming initial resistance to Japanese products by focusing on quality and innovation. Under his leadership, Sony introduced a series of groundbreaking products: the TR-63, the world's first pocket-sized transistor radio (1957); the Trinitron color television (1968), which won an Emmy Award; and most famously, the Walkman personal stereo (1979). The Walkman, initially met with skepticism internally, became a cultural phenomenon, demonstrating Morita's belief in creating new markets rather than just satisfying existing ones. Morita was also a proponent of corporate culture that fostered creativity and empowered engineers. He advocated for a flat organizational structure and encouraged open communication. His global vision extended to corporate acquisitions, notably the purchase of CBS Records in 1988 for $2 billion and Columbia Pictures Entertainment in 1989 for $3.4 billion, transforming Sony into an entertainment conglomerate. He retired as chairman in 1994, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, brand building, and global business acumen.