Richard Garriott

Richard Allen Garriott de Cayeux, commonly known as Richard Garriott, is an American video game developer, entrepreneur, and private astronaut originally from Britain. Born to NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, Richard's career in gaming began as a designer and programmer, eventually leading him to become a multifaceted figure in the industry.

Garriott is best known for creating the iconic Ultima game series, which he oversaw from its inception with 1979's Akalabeth: World of Doom to its final main installment, Ultima IX: Ascension, released in 1999. Throughout the series, he famously portrayed the character Lord British, a persona that became emblematic of the franchise. His contributions significantly shaped the computer role-playing game genre, marking Ultima as a cornerstone in gaming history.

In addition to his work in gaming, Garriott made headlines when he flew to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 on October 12, 2008. After spending 12 days in space, he returned on Soyuz TMA-12, making him the second person ever—and the first American—whose parent had also traveled to space. During his time aboard the ISS, he filmed a science fiction short titled Apogee of Fear.

In 2009, Garriott founded Portalarium, a video game development studio, where he served as CEO and creative director for Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues until stepping down in 2018 and transferring the game's assets to Catnip Games in 2019. His innovative spirit and contributions to both gaming and space exploration have left a lasting legacy in both fields.