Garriott

Garriott is a surname. It is notably associated with a family prominent in the American video game industry and space exploration. The best-known bearers are Richard Garriott and Robert Garriott, brothers who co-founded Origin Systems, and their father, Owen K. Garriott, a NASA astronaut and electrical engineer.

Richard Garriott, born in 1961, is an American video game designer and entrepreneur best known for creating the Ultima series and for his in-game persona Lord British. He co-founded Origin Systems in 1983 with his brother Robert Garriott. The company produced several influential early computer and console games and was later acquired by Electronic Arts in 1992. After Origin, Richard Garriott founded Portalarium in 2009 and has continued to work in game development and related ventures. He also completed a spaceflight as a private astronaut in 2008.

Robert Garriott is an American businessman and game designer who co-founded Origin Systems with his brother Richard. He held executive roles at Origin during its development and growth and remained involved in the video game industry through the company’s later history and integrations within the broader industry.

Owen K. Garriott (1930–2019) was an American electrical engineer and NASA astronaut. He flew as a mission specialist on Skylab 3 and is the father of Richard and Robert Garriott, linking the surname to both space exploration and video game development.