Hedy Lamarr
This brilliant Hollywood star was also a genius-level inventor who pioneered technology that underpins modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
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The Inventor Behind the Silver Screen
Hedy Lamarr’s frequency-hopping technology is now ubiquitous, forming the backbone of nearly all modern wireless communication. While she was never paid for her world-changing ideas, countless corporations and their leaders have built immense fortunes upon its foundation. This list is just a small sample of the tech giants whose products and wealth are directly descended from her unrewarded ingenuity:
Smartphone & Mobile Tech Titans: (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 4G/5G Cellular)
Apple Inc. (CEO: Tim Cook)
Alphabet Inc. (Google) (CEO: Sundar Pichai)
Samsung Electronics (Vice Chairman & CEO: Han Jong-hee)
Qualcomm (CEO: Cristiano Amon)
Broadcom Inc. (CEO: Hock Tan)
Network & Infrastructure Leaders: (Wi-Fi Routers, Cellular Infrastructure)
Cisco Systems (Chair & CEO: Chuck Robbins)
AT&T (CEO: John Stankey)
Verizon Communications (Chairman & CEO: Hans Vestberg)
Connected Devices & Peripherals: (GPS, Bluetooth Headphones/Devices)
Garmin Ltd. (CEO: Cliff Pemble)
Intel Corporation (CEO: Pat Gelsinger)
Bose Corporation (CEO: Lila Snyder)
Sony Group Corporation (Chairman & CEO: Kenichiro Yoshida)
Every time we connect to Wi-Fi, pair a Bluetooth headset, or use a GPS signal on our phone, we are benefiting from the intellectual legacy of a woman who was seen by the world for her beauty on the Silver Screen, but rarely for her brilliance that will continue to touch the lives of billions for countless generations to come.