Lars Magnus Ericsson Swedish inventor, entrepreneur, founder of Ericsson Date of Birth: 05.05.1846 Country: Sweden

1. Early Life and Career
2. Founding Ericsson and Success
3. Legacy

Lars Magnus Ericsson - Founder of Ericsson, the Leading Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturer

Lars Magnus Ericsson, a Swedish inventor and entrepreneur, is best known as the founder of Ericsson, the largest producer of telecommunications equipment. He was born on May 5, 1846, in Värmskog, Värmland, and grew up in the small village of Vegerbol, located between Karlstad and Arvika.

Early Life and Career

At the age of twelve, Lars' father passed away, forcing him to seek employment. He learned the trade of blacksmithing and became a miner. Lars worked in the mines until he saved enough money to leave the village. In 1867, he moved to Stockholm, where he spent the next six years manufacturing electrical equipment for Öllers & Co., a company that primarily sold telegraph equipment.

Thanks to his professionalism, Lars was awarded two government scholarships for studying abroad between 1872 and 1875. He worked as a draftsman and designer at Siemens & Halske during this time. Upon his return to Sweden in 1876, Lars opened an electromechanical workshop with the help of his friend Carl Johan Andersson, who had also previously worked at Siemens & Halske. The workshop, located in the center of Stockholm, was equipped in a former kitchen and covered an area of just 13 square meters.

Founding Ericsson and Success

It was in this small workshop that Lars Magnus Ericsson developed his tabletop telephone with a horn and magneto. He began producing high-quality and affordable equipment for the national telephone association, known as "Telegrafverket." His devices, often referred to as "telephone Rolls-Royces," proved to be superior to the American telephones produced by the Bell Company.

In 1883, Lars started his collaboration with Henrik Tore Cedergren, and together they began expanding their company, which eventually grew into a massive corporation. Lars Magnus Ericsson left Ericsson in 1890 at the age of 55 but remained a shareholder until 1905 when he sold his shares.

Legacy

Lars Magnus Ericsson was not concerned when Norwegian companies started producing phones suspiciously similar to those developed by Ericsson. Perhaps it was because Lars himself had borrowed the idea for his devices from Siemens to a significant extent. Initially, the inventor did not believe that his phones would enter the mass market. He saw them merely as toys for the idle class living off capital investments.

Lars Magnus Ericsson passed away on December 17, 1926. Before his death, he insisted that there should be no gravestone on his grave, and indeed, his resting place remained nameless. Despite his modesty, Lars Magnus Ericsson's contributions to the telecommunications industry and his entrepreneurial spirit continue to be recognized and celebrated.