Kodak Invented the Future — Then Buried It

On January 19, 2012, the most famous name in photography filed for bankruptcy: $5.1 billion in assets against $6.8 billion in debts. Weeks later, Kodak sold its online photo service — 75 million users — for $23.8 million. Days after that, Facebook paid $1 billion for Instagram, a photo app with 13 employees and no revenue. The strangest part? Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975. It studied the digital future in 1981 and was told it had about ten years to prepare. At its peak it employed 145,000 people, sold about 90% of the film in America, and made roughly $16 billion a year. This is the full story of Kodak, from start to fall — date by date, the way it actually happened — and the honest ending: the kingdom fell, but Kodak never actually died. Every fact in this video is verified against public sources. Next episode: Toys "R" Us — the toy store that owned every childhood in America, and the debt deal that buried it. Subscribe so you don't miss it. Was there a yellow Kodak box in your house growing up? What's the oldest family photo you own? Tell us in the comments. #Kodak #KodakMoment #FilmPhotography #RiseAndFall #BusinessHistory #Instagram #Fujifilm