Akio Morita was a Japanese businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation. Born in 1921 in Nagoya, Japan, Morita studied physics at Osaka Imperial University before serving in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. In 1946, Morita co-founded Sony with Masaru Ibuka, originally starting as a small electronics shop in Tokyo. Under Morita's leadership, Sony became a global powerhouse known for its innovation in consumer electronics, including the iconic Walkman and the development of the compact disc.