You’ve probably heard of Dyson vacuum cleaners and other products, which are notoriously cutting-edge (and expensive). If you’ve ever seen a TV commercial for a Dyson product, you’ve probably seen James Dyson himself, as he often voices and appears in commercials for the products he has invented. Since officially opening his own manufacturing company in 1993, he’s had his share of hits and misses, but it seems like his overall strategy is a good one. James Dyson’s net worth is $6.7 billion and growing.
The British inventor and businessman starting inventing after switching from interior design to engineering in his early 20’s. His first inventions mostly involved the use of a ball instead of a wheel for various applications, including a wheelbarrow and a boat trolley. He also invented a “Wheelboat”, a vehicle that could travel on land and water with top speeds of 40 mph. He would later incorporate this rollerball technology into his vacuum cleaners to improve their maneuverability.
His major advance in vacuum cleaners was the use of cyclonic separation technology, after being frustrated at how his Hoover vacuum would lose suction as it gathered dust. His bagless, high-suction vacuum was not accepted by any of the major manufacturers, who had seen that the convenience of a disposable bag had increased sales and created a new market of its own. So although he had his original concept in the 1970s, it was 1983 before he was able to launch his first model, and even then, only in Japan, where it won the International Design Fair Prize in 1991. The vacuum that won was selling for around $2700!
Since breaking into the market, he has expanding his line of vacuum cleaners and added other products, most notably the Dyson Airblade hand dryer, bladeless fans, and even a washing machine that never really took off and isn’t available for sale anymore.
