“What intrigued me the most as I sat through the movie again and again, was the creative spark of Dr. Frankenstein’s electricity,” Bakken said in his 1990 autobiography “One Man’s Full Life.”
National Geographic recently posted a nearly 3-minute-long video about how “Frankenstein” sent Bakken down the path to eventually pioneer cardiac pacemakers. The company he started — Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) — is now the largest medical device company in the world.
Bakken died at his Hawaii home in 2018, at the age of 94. He left a strong legacy at the Minnesota-based company he founded.
Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha recently shared the National Geographic video on LinkedIn and added: “Earl’s legacy continues to give us so much and guides all that Medtronic does around the world.”
Former CEO Omar Ishrak chimed in: “Earl not only started Medtronic but created an entire industry — dedicated to using technology to solve clinical problems.”