Linus Torvalds
Linus Torvalds is a Finnish-American programmer who changed the IT world by creating Linux and Git. Since childhood, Linus was interested in math and programming, and at the age of 11, he got his first computer, the Commodore VIC-20, which became the starting point of his career. At university, while studying Minix, he thought about creating his operating system. In 1991 Linus developed the first version of Linux and put it into the public domain. His idea of free software quickly attracted the attention of developers around the world, and Linux became a popular alternative to commercial operating systems.
Later, while working at OSDL, Torvalds faced the problem of kernel version control and in 2005 created Git, which is now used by millions of developers. Despite offers from Apple and Microsoft, he has always remained committed to open-source principles. Today, Linux is used in supercomputers, servers, smartphones and even spacecraft.
Linus has received numerous awards, and magazines for his achievements. Time has listed him as one of the “100 Most Influential People”. He now works at the Linux Foundation, overseeing the development of the Linux kernel. His story vividly shows how one idea can change the IT industry.