Hajime Satomi
Hajime Satomi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1942 Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Known for | Founder of Sammy Corporation; Chairman of Sega Sammy Holdings; racehorse owner |
is a prominent Japanese entrepreneur and the originator of Sammy Corporation, which later merged with Sega to create Sega Sammy Holdings. He is recognized as one of the 50 wealthiest individuals in Japan and is a notable owner of Thoroughbred racehorses, including the distinguished Satono Diamond.
History
After leaving Aoyama Gakuin University in 1975, Satomi established Sammy Corporation. The business swiftly expanded by producing machines tailored for Japan’s profitable pachislot and pachinko gambling industries. In March 2001, Sammy achieved a listing on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Today, Sammy stands as a leading manufacturer within this market segment.
In 2003, Sammy acquired a 22% ownership stake in Sega and proceeded to secure majority control in 2004 through a $1.1 billion purchase. Following this, Satomi assumed leadership of the merged entity, operating under Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., which generated combined sales of $4.5 billion and integrated both Sammy and Sega businesses. He took over from Hisao Oguchi, who transitioned to vice chairman and chief creative officer roles. Satomi’s involvement with Sega was partly shaped by his connection to former owner Isao Okawa, who had extended an 8 billion yen loan during challenging times for Sammy.
Satomi has played a key role in overseeing Sega’s intellectual properties, backing initiatives such as the Yakuza video game series and advocating for the development of the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise.
His son, Haruki Satomi, took over as Representative Director, President, and COO in 2017, completing his succession as CEO by 2021. Haruki implemented strategic moves including divesting Sega’s arcade venue operations in 2022—actions Hajime did not directly support but permitted by delegating decision-making authority to his son.
Incident with yakuza
In January 2015, an armed attack took place at Satomi’s residence. At approximately 8:35 AM, Tokyo Metropolitan Police were notified by a security guard who heard gunfire and discovered three unfired bullet casings at the scene. Surveillance footage captured two individuals on a motorcycle near the property during the incident. Takahiro Yamamoto, aged 54 and affiliated with the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest yakuza syndicate faction, was apprehended for discharging a firearm at Satomi’s home and discarding ammunition. Investigations suggest Yamamoto directed Takao Matsushima and Hiroaki Yoshikawa to carry out the assault; both were subsequently arrested. The underlying motive—whether intended to physically harm or intimidate Satomi—remains undetermined.
External links
- — 2004-02-17
Articles
Interviews
- Interview by Spiegel Online - 2006-10-12
- 1942 births
- Living people
- Businesspeople from Tokyo
- Japanese chief executives
- Japanese billionaires
- Sega people
- Japanese company founders
- Japanese chairpersons of corporations
- Japanese corporate directors
- Japanese racehorse owners and breeders
- 20th-century Japanese businesspeople
- 21st-century Japanese businesspeople