Kodak: How the Company That Built a Digital Camera in 1975 Went Bankrupt

In 1975 a Kodak engineer built a digital camera prototype. In 1996 Kodak's sales hit $15.97 billion. Then film demand collapsed: US consumer film volumes fell about 25% in 2005 alone, and the workforce shrank from 97,500 in 1997 to 13,100 by the end of 2012. Kodak lost money in seven of the eight years from 2005 to 2012, its shares fell from above $94 to 37 cents, and it filed for Chapter 11 in January 2012 with $6.75 billion of debts. Here is the full rise and ruin of Kodak, including what really happened to that 1975 camera, plus lessons for anyone running a business. 0:00 Intro 1:03 Part 1: The rise 1:56 Part 2: The 1975 prototype 3:27 Part 3: The cracks 5:11 Part 4: The fall 7:53 Why Kodak really failed 8:48 Lessons for your business SOURCES (all charts and timelines are our own, made from these): SEC EDGAR: Eastman Kodak Form 10-K for fiscal 2000 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31... SEC EDGAR: Eastman Kodak Form 10-K for fiscal 2005 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31... SEC EDGAR: Eastman Kodak Form 10-K for fiscal 2007 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31... SEC EDGAR: Eastman Kodak Form 10-K for fiscal 2011 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31... SEC EDGAR: Eastman Kodak (Debtor-in-Possession) Form 10-K for fiscal 2012 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31... Associated Press via Christian Science Monitor: Eastman Kodak files for bankruptcy https://proof.csmonitor.com/Business/Lates... CNN Money: Kodak files for bankruptcy https://money.cnn.com/2012/01/19/news/comp... Snopes: Did Eastman Kodak invent the first digital camera? https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/eastman-... PetaPixel: What Kodak said about digital photography in 1975 https://petapixel.com/2017/09/21/kodak-sai... Engadget: Kodak exits bankruptcy with new focus on business imaging https://www.engadget.com/2013-09-03-kodak-... SEC EDGAR: Kodak press release on the sale of digital imaging patents (Form 8-K exhibit 99.1) https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/00... Popular Photography: Kodak sells imaging, film business to its own pension plan https://www.popphoto.com/news/2013/04/koda... Figures are in nominal US dollars unless stated, and come from the filings and reports above. Some series mix restated years; see the sources for detail. This video is commentary and education, not financial advice. Narration uses an AI voice. #Kodak #BusinessHistory #RiseAndRuin