Ralph Høibakk

Ralph Høibakk (born 14 July 1937) is a Norwegian entrepreneur. He established the Tandberg Data company in 1978, which produced ergonomically designed laptops and keyboards. Høibakk left the company in 1986, and started Høibakk Invest, which provides management consulting for new enterprises. He is also a mountaineer, and has climbed the Tirich Mir, Mount Everest and Drangnag Ri mountains in Asia with Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss and Arne Næss Jr.

Høibakk obtained a PhD in mathematics in 2017 (age 79) at the University of Tromsø.

Early and personal life Høibakk was born to the engineer Rolf Høibakk (1908–2002) and his wife Mary Wilthil. In 1965, Høibakk married Inger Holm, but divorced her in 1998.

In the 1980s, Tandberg Data tried to start business in the United States, but without success. In 2000, he was appointed Professor II at the Narvik University College. In 1985, Høibakk climbed the Mount Everest with a group of 25 Norwegians, led by Arne Næss Jr. Ten years later, Høibakk climbed the Drangnag Ri mountain in Tibet with Chris Bonington and Bjørn Myhrer Lund. Høibakk and Bonington were hit by lightning at above sea level. In 1990, Høibakk skied to the South Pole with a group of Norwegians who were the first Norwegians to reach the South Pole on ski since Roald Amundsen. He later recalled that he found the ski trip a "bit boring".

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