Nolan Bushnell
Cofounder, Atari

At the dawn of the 1970s, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney set to work on their flagship product with spare parts in hand: Computer Space, which became the first commercial coin-operated game and the first commercial video game. After briefly operating as Syzygy Engineering, the duo formally incorporated the company as Atari in 1972.

Bushnell and Dabney sought to design and license out their games, but upon encountering resistance, Bushnell decided to enter the manufacturing business. During the first year, Atari spent around $500 in capital, hired roughly 200 employees, and brought in more than $3.5 million. Under Bushnell’s leadership, Atari spawned many competitors, effectively fathering the video-game industry that we know today.