Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson (born 26 September 1962), also known as Olaf Olafsson, is an Icelandic businessman and writer. He is best known for his tenure at

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...

and his leadership in the creation of the PlayStation video game console.

Personal life

Olafsson was born in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

on 26 September 1962 to Anna Jónsdóttir and writer Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson. He studied

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

as a Wien Scholar at

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , ...

. He lives in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

with his wife Anna Ólafsdóttir and three children.

Literary career

He is the author of three previous novels, ''The Journey Home'', ''

Absolution Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness imparted by ordained Christian priests and experienced by Christian penitents. It is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom, although the theology and the pr ...

'' and '' Walking Into the Night'', and a story collection, '' Valentines''. He also wrote the play ''The Feast of the Snails'', albeit to mixed reviews. His books have been published to critical acclaim in more than twenty languages. Olafsson is the recipient of the O. Henry Award and the

Icelandic Literary Award The Icelandic Literary Prize ( Icelandic: ''Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunin''), or Icelandic Literary Award, is an award which is given to three books each year by the Icelandic Publishers Association. The prize was founded on the association's cent ...

, was shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor Prize, and has twice been nominated for the IMPAC Award.

Business career

Olafsson began a career at

in 1985, where he rose through several positions. In 1991, he founded Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., and became its first president and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

. Sony Computer was established as a free-functioning unit of

Sony Corporation , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

. Olafsson built and managed its businesses in the United States and Europe. During his six-year tenure, he directed the worldwide operations of Sony's entertainment software and hardware divisions and was responsible for the creation and launch of the PlayStation console, which would go onto generate major sales and profits for Sony Interactive. However, Olafsson clashed with higher-ups over the PlayStation's pricing as he favoured lower price on the console. The intense feuding caused him to lose support within the company and he was forced to resign in 1996. Olafsson became a member of the board of directors of Advanta Corporation, a specialty finance company, in 1997, and became Advanta's president in March 1998.Advanta Hires Sony Playstation Chief as President
/ref> Olafsson left Advanta in 1999 to join

Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

as Vice Chairman of Digital Media.Advanta president resigns
/ref> He briefly left the company after its merger with AOL, which formed the short-lived AOL Time Warner. He returned at the request of CEO Richard D. Parsons after Time Warner executives reasserted control over the company. He was later given the title of Executive Vice President. With the AT&T purchase of Time Warner, Olafsson and several other Time Warner executives left the combined company.

Books

* ''

'' (Pantheon, 1994) * ''The Journey Home'' (Pantheon, 2000). - Palomar Pictures has considered adapting ''The Journey Home'' (Slóð fiðrildanna) as a film. * '' Walking Into the Night'' (Pantheon, 2003) * '' Valentines'' (Random House, 2007). - Won the 2006

Icelandic Literary Prize The Icelandic Literary Prize ( Icelandic: ''Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunin''), or Icelandic Literary Award, is an award which is given to three books each year by the Icelandic Publishers Association. The prize was founded on the association's cen ...

for fiction. * ''

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

'' (Harper Collins: Ecco, 2012) * ''One station away'', (New York, NY : Ecco, 2017) * ''The Sacrament'' (HarperCollins, 2019) * ''Touch'' (HarperCollins, 2022)

References

External links

Olaf Olafsson's Official WebsiteOlaf's Facebook PageBokmenntir on him
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olafsson, Olafur Johann 1962 births Living people Olafur Johann Olafsson Olafur Johann Olafsson Sony people Brandeis University alumni Olafur Johann Olafsson