Haraldur Ingi Þorleifsson Explained

Haraldur Ingi Þorleifsson
Nationality:Icelandic
Other Names:Halli Thorleifsson
Önnu Jónu Son
Alma Mater:University of Iceland
Known For:Ueno

Haraldur Ingi "Halli" Þorleifsson (born 1977) is an Icelandic entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and musician.[1] The founder of the company Ueno and the 2019 Icelandic businessman of the year,[2] he sold his company to Twitter in 2021, then worked for Twitter until 2023.[3]

Early life

Haraldur was born with a genetic muscular dystrophy disease known as dysferlinopathy[4] that forced him to use a wheelchair at the age of 25.[5] His parents were Þorleifur Gunnlaugsson and Anna Jóna Jónsdóttir. In 1988, his mother was killed[6] and his stepfather, actor Jóhann Sigurðarson, was seriously injured[7] in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.[8] [9]

Business career

In 2014, Haraldur founded the creative technology services company Ueno.[10] [11] In 2019, he was named the Icelandic businessman of the year by the Icelandic Association of Business and Economists.

In early 2021, Haraldur sold Ueno to Twitter.[12] [13] In the agreement between Twitter and Haraldur, most of the purchase price was paid as salary to maximize the tax he would pay for the sale in Iceland. Haraldur stated that he chose to pay for tax to support the school, health and welfare systems that helped him and other people from low-income families to prosper.[14] [15] As per the agreement, he paid the second highest tax of an individual in Iceland in 2021.[16] [17]

In March 2021, Haraldur helped launch a project called Ramp Up Reykjavík, a collaborative venture undertaken by local businesses, labour unions, government ministries, associations, banks, and city officials with the intention of helping local businesses install wheelchair ramps to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.[18] [19] After the project's success, a new project called Ramp Up Iceland was started with the intention of building 1,000 ramps around Iceland.[20] After quickly building 300 ramps, the goal was raised, in November 2022, to 1,500 ramps by 2026.[21] In December 2022, he was named the Icelandic Person of the Year by RÚV, the Icelandic national broadcaster, as well as Morgunblaðið, and Vísir.is.[22] [23]

In February 2023, despite being on a "do not fire" list, Haraldur's employment with Twitter was allegedly terminated after an additional round of layoffs, although he received no confirmation.[24] [25] Following an interaction with Elon Musk on Twitter in March 2023, where Musk "trolled" him,[26] Haraldur received confirmation from Twitter's human resources department that his employment had indeed been terminated.[27] Following Musk's tweet alleging that Haraldur did no real work at Twitter and was using his disability as an excuse, Haraldur responded in a series of tweets covering his medical condition while criticizing Musk.[28] Musk later apologized for his "misunderstanding of his situation" after a video call with Haraldur, and claimed that Haraldur was considering remaining at Twitter.[29] [30]

Music career

In November 2022, under the stage name Önnu Jónu Son, Haraldur performed the opening gig at the Iceland Airwaves music festival.[31] On 9 March 2023, he released his first song and music video Almost over you from the upcoming album The Radio Won't Let Me Sleep.[32] [33]

Notes and References

  1. News: Bjarni Rúnarsson . Ætlar aldrei að verða forstjóri aftur . Never Going to be CEO Again . 18 February 2022 . . 11 March 2021 . Icelandic.
  2. News: Viðskiptafræðingur ársins . Businessman of the Year . 18 February 2022 . . 13 April 2019 . Icelandic.
  3. Web site: 2023-03-07 . Musk involved in bizarre Twitter exchange with 'ghosted' worker . Shweta . Sharma . 2023-03-07 . The Independent . en.
  4. Web site: Haraldur Thorleifsson . 2023-03-08 . haraldurthorleifsson.com . en.
  5. News: Karítas Ríkharðsdóttir . Looked at the steps outside the shop . Horfði á þrepið fyrir utan búðina . 18 February 2022 . . 11 March 2021 . Icelandic.
  6. News: Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir . Arnar Þórisson . Ingvar Haukur Guðmundsson . Harmur milljarðamæringsins . The Billionaire's Tragedy . 7 March 2023 . Kveikur . . 4 October 2022 . Icelandic.
  7. News: Gunnþóra Gunnarsdóttir . Innra vegakerfi tilfinninganna . The internal road system of the emotions . 8 March 2023 . . 29 September 2012 . Icelandic.
  8. News: Fontaine . Andie Sophia . The Equaliser: Haraldur Þorleifsson On Power, Misinformation, And Leveling The Playing Field . The Reykjavik Grapevine . 3 June 2022 . March 24, 2023 .
  9. News: Drukkinn á stolnum bíl olli banaslysi . 7 March 2023 . . 14 June 1988 . 5 . Icelandic. Tímarit.is.
  10. News: Stefán Árni Pálsson . Frosti Logason . 18 February 2022 . Stærsta sorg sem ég hef lent í . Biggest sadness I've ever had . Icelandic . . 18 February 2022.
  11. News: 15 April 2019 . Óvenjuleg saga Ueno og Haraldar . The extraordinary story of Ueno and Haraldar . Icelandic . . 18 February 2022.
  12. News: Sarah Perez . Twitter acqui-hires creative agency Ueno to help design new products . 12 March 2023 . . 6 January 2021.
  13. News: Þórður Snær Júlíusson . 30 January 2021 . Seldi fyrirtækið sitt til Twitter og ætlar að greiða alla skatta af sölunni á Íslandi . Sold his company to Twitter and plans to pay all taxes on the sale in Iceland . Icelandic . . 18 February 2022.
  14. News: Eiður Þór Árnason . 25 May 2022 . Stóð við sitt og hefur greitt um hálfan milljarð í skatta . Delivered on his promise and has paid half a billion in taxes . Icelandic . . 21 November 2022.
  15. News: Þórður Snær Júlíusson . Segir Elon Musk hafa hlegið að sér og spyr hvort hann muni ekki borga samkvæmt samningi . Says Elon Musk laughed at him and asks if he won't pay according to the contract . 7 March 2023 . . 7 March 2023 . Icelandic.
  16. News: Einar Þór Sigurðsson . 18 August 2022 . Haraldur einn af skattakóngum Íslands . Haraldur one of Iceland's tax kings . Icelandic . . 21 November 2022.
  17. News: Erik Pomrenke . 23 August 2022 . Annual List of Highest Tax Payers in Iceland Published . . 21 November 2022.
  18. News: Larissa Kyzer . 6 November 2021 . Reykjavík Ramps Up . Icelandic . Iceland Review . 18 February 2022.
  19. News: 10 March 2021 . Setur upp 100 rampa og opnar kaffihús . Installing 100 ramps and opening a cafe . Icelandic . . 18 February 2022.
  20. News: Árni Sæberg . 20 September 2021 . Ætla að rampa upp Ísland með eitt þúsund römpum . Going to ramp up Iceland with a thousand ramps . Icelandic . . 18 February 2022.
  21. News: Pomrenke . Erik . 23 November 2022 . President Raises Goal to 1,500 Ramps . . 7 March 2023.
  22. News: Pomrenke . Erik . 2 January 2023 . Haraldur Þorleifsson Sweeps Person of the Year Awards . . 7 March 2023.
  23. News: Oddur Þórðarson . Haraldur Þorleifsson er manneskja ársins . Haraldur Þorleifsson is the person of the year . 7 March 2023 . . 30 December 2022 . Icelandic.
  24. News: Kate Duffy . 4 senior Twitter managers were previously on a 'do not fire' list, but they were fired anyway, report says . . 7 March 2023 . 28 February 2023.
  25. News: James Clayton . 7 March 2023 . Have I been fired? worker asks chief executive Elon Musk on Twitter . . 7 March 2023.
  26. Web site: Loh . Matthew . Elon Musk publicly trolled a Twitter employee who wanted to know if they still had their job: 'What work have you been doing?' . 7 March 2023 . 2023-03-07 . Business Insider . en-US.
  27. News: Freyr Gígja Gunnarsson . Musk öskuillur út í Harald eftir Twitter-færslur um brottreksturinn . Musk lashes out at Harald after Twitter posts about the dismissal . 7 March 2023 . . 7 March 2023 . Icelandic.
  28. News: Freyr Gígja Gunnarsson . Haraldur tekur Musk til bæna og vill vita hvort hann ætli að borga honum . Haraldur takes Musk to his prayers and wants to know if he is going to pay him . 7 March 2023 . . 7 March 2023 . Icelandic.
  29. Elon . Musk . March 24, 2023 . elonmusk . 1633253950198624257 . I would like to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful. He is considering remaining at Twitter..
  30. News: Samúel Karl Ólason . Musk biður Harald afsökunar . 8 March 2023 . . 8 March 2023 . Icelandic.
  31. News: Airwaves 2022: Pre-Opening Night Review . 10 March 2023 . . 3 November 2022.
  32. News: Máni Snær Þorláksson . Haraldur gefur út tónlistarmyndband . 10 March 2023 . . 9 March 2023 . Icelandic.
  33. News: Grapevine New Music Picks: Worm Is Green, Önnu Jónu Son, KÁRI & More . 10 March 2023 . . 10 March 2023.

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