Creator of Cranium sells to Hasbro
Helensburgh-born Richard Tait becomes a 2008 livewire with the $77.5m sale of the Seattle-based games company Cranium, which he founded with Partner Whit Alexander (both former Microsoft employees) in 1998.
Tait, who admits to the home town of John Logie Baird's birthplace, Helensburgh and a career which included the roles of shepherd, technology evangelist and Intra-preneur, lists his professional achievements as " Never lost a sheep" and "Microsoft Employee of the Year."
Among other achievements are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro; playing soccer as a weekend warrior and "convincing everyone that Scottish people invented everything."
Hasbro Inc, the US second biggest toymaker is to buy the privately-held game maker. Now Cranium will join such brands as Playskool, Tonka and Milton Bradley and such board games as Monopoly, Scrabble and Candy Land.
Cranium has sold more than 15m game sales in 30 countries and 10 languages was Game of the Year in 2001 and has 14 localised country versions. In 2001 it won the Toy Industry Association award for Game of the Year.
Hasbro's COO Brian Goldner says the deal will allow Hasbro to maximise the Cranium brand and grow it in international markets.