Hirsoshi Yamauchi, Nintendo’s president from 1949 to 2002, has died at 85. Yamauchi remained the company’s largest shareholder after his retirement, with an estimated net worth of US$2.1 billion.
Yamauchi was the grandson of Nintendo’s founder, Fusajiro Yamauchi, who established the firm in 1889. Yamauchi oversaw Nintendo’s transition from a playing card company to an arcade and home console manufacturer and game developer.
Yamauchi, with game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, developed the game franchises (Mario, Donkey Kong) and home entertainment systems (Famicom/NES, GameBoy) that still define the company today.
