Jack Tramiel
Jack Tramiel was a Holocaust survivor turned tech industry titan, renowned for his role in bringing affordable computing to the masses. Born in Poland in 1928, Tramiel emigrated to the United States after World War II and founded Commodore as a typewriter repair company before transitioning into calculators and later, home computers.
Under his leadership, Commodore released the VIC-20 and the legendary Commodore 64, which remains one of the best-selling computers of all time. Tramiel was known for his aggressive pricing strategies and relentless drive to democratise computing—often sparring with rivals like Apple and Texas Instruments.
After a power struggle at Commodore, Tramiel left in 1984 and acquired Atari’s struggling consumer division, where he launched the Atari ST. His business philosophy, summed up in the quote “business is war,” defined much of the home computer industry’s culture during the 1980s.
💡 Did You Know?
- Jack Tramiel personally negotiated the deal to acquire Atari’s consumer business from Warner in just a few days.
- The Commodore 64’s low price point and built-in BASIC helped it dominate the home computer market in the 1980s.
- Tramiel’s family-run business style influenced Atari Corp.’s management long after the 8-bit wars ended.