Invented Portable Electronic Calculators and TVs
Showcased Electric Cars in the 1980s but Failed
Predicted Flying Personal Cars
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Sir Clive Sinclair, the godfather of British invention, passed away at the age of 81 on the 16th (local time). He was the first to invent the portable calculator and led the commercialization of home computers.
The British Guardian reported through his daughter Belinda that he passed away in the morning at his home after a long illness.
Sir Sinclair dropped out of school at 17 and worked for four years at technology-related magazines to raise startup funds. In the early 1970s, he invented a series of pocket-sized portable calculators and invented the ZX series computers, leading the commercialization of home computers.
The Guardian evaluated, "Today's giants in the gaming industry started with Sir Sinclair's ZX computer models." His first computer product, the ZX80, was released at ?99.95 (about 160,000 KRW), which was 20% of the price of existing products in 1908, and sold 50,000 units. Later, he released the home computer ZX Spectrum, becoming a millionaire earning ?14 million annually (about 22.7 billion KRW).
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, also shared his obituary article on Twitter that day, saying, "I loved your ZX series. Rest in peace."
After repeated successes, he invented and launched the single-seat three-wheeled electric vehicle C5 in 1985. However, due to ongoing safety concerns, he experienced setbacks and failed to generate profits with the C5.
In 2008, he also predicted that "personal flying cars will soon become a reality." In an interview with BBC Radio at the time, he said, "I believe it will dramatically change the world."
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