Cray has been a charismatic yet somewhat reclusive figure. He
began Cray Research in Minnesota in 1972. In 1988, Cray moved
his
Cray-3 project to Colorado Springs. The next year, Cray
left Cray Research and started Cray Computer Corporation in Colorado
Springs.
His quest to build a faster computer using new-generation
materials failed in 1995, and his bankruptcy cost half a
billion dollars and more than 400 jobs. The company was
unable to raise $20 million needed to finish the
Cray-4 and
filed for bankruptcy in March 1995.
In the summer of 1996, Cray started a Colorado Springs-based
computers, but who knows what kind or how," Cray said at the
time. "We'll talk it over and see if we can come up with a
plan."
On 1996-09-22, aged 70, Cray broke his neck in a car
accident. Surgery for massive head injuries and swelling of
the brain leaving him in a critical and unstable condition.
(1997-03-02)