Draft:Let's Buy Commodore

Let's Buy Commodore is a project launched in mid-2025 by Christian Simpson (online as "Perifractic" on the Retro Recipes YouTube channel) to acquire and revive the Commodore computer brand. Simpson announced that he had negotiated a deal with the Dutch owners of the Commodore trademarks and planned to reboot the company with new products. Reports indicate he signed a share purchase agreement for a price "in the low seven figures". Under the plan, Simpson styled himself as the acting CEO of Commodore and assembled a management team of former Commodore engineers, executives and other technology figures. The initiative received coverage in technology media outlets such as Tom's Hardware, HotHardware, Hackaday, TimeExtension, and Tedium.

Background

Commodore International was a major producer of personal computers in the 1980s. Its Commodore 64 (C64) home computer sold millions of units worldwide. The company later released successors including the Commodore 128 and the Amiga line. After the Commodore CDTV and CD32 multimedia players failed in the early 1990s, the company went bankrupt in 1994. The Commodore trademarks and other assets subsequently passed through several different companies (including Escom and Tulip), and by the 2020s the brand was held by a Dutch firm.

Project launch

In June 2025 Simpson publicly announced the Let's Buy Commodore effort. He reported that he and a group of retro-computing enthusiasts had contacted the Dutch company controlling the Commodore brand. According to TimeExtension, Simpson "managed to get in touch with the current rights holders in Holland to the Commodore brand" and planned to "reboot" the company with new hardware and products. In an interview with Tedium he said the owners indicated they "might be open to selling [the] whole company" if the right offer came along Simpson subsequently stated that he and his backers had "signed a share purchase agreement" with the previous owners, with a final price reported as "in the low seven figures". His presentation of the deal included a new Commodore logo and slogan – "Retro Futurism: Honouring our past, innovating the future" – as the company's brand identity.

Simpson's announcement included a new Commodore logo and the slogan "Retro Futurism – Honouring our past, innovating the future." He described having formed a corporate team with roles such as CEO, CFO and COO to relaunch Commodore. The funding was not yet fully finalized: Simpson acknowledged that he and other supporters had already put a "lot of cash" into the effort (even taking out second mortgages), but said they were still seeking additional angel investors. Despite the risks, he said that large numbers of fans had reacted emotionally to the news, and that he was committed to making the venture succeed. (As of late June 2025, Tedium reported that Simpson announced the acquisition was complete with an investor group that included former Commodore staff.)

Simpson's stated vision included not only commercial products but also philanthropic elements. He mentioned plans for a new "Commodore Care" charity and even a Commodore-themed arcade at the Caudwell Children's hospital in the UK, aiming to "spread the spark of joy" to children. At the same time, reports noted that previous attempts to revive Commodore had been made (by companies like Commodore USA) with limited success, and observers cautioned that any new Commodore-branded hardware would need to be compelling to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Team

Simpson announced that he would serve as the acting CEO of the revived Commodore corporation. He listed a management team drawn largely from retro-computing enthusiasts and former Commodore employees. Notable members named included Commodore veteran Bill Herd (as technical advisor), Albert Charpentier (former VP of engineering), Michael Tomczyk (former Commodore executive), James Harrison (former tech support manager), David Pleasance (former Commodore VP and managing director), and Hans Olsen (former demo technician). Other appointees included Tim Morgan (PR officer), Jeri Ellsworth (hardware engineer and entrepreneur), Cem Tezcan and Dan Tootill (designers), Marvin Droogsma (retro-computing collector and organizer), and Matt Grandis (webmaster). Actor Thomas Middleditch (known for the TV series Silicon Valley) was named as Chief Creative Officer. (Several other hardware inventors and retro community figures – such as Gideon Zweijtzer, Jim Drew and Jake Young – were also said to be involved in the project, though their titles were not publicly detailed.)

Media coverage and response

The Let's Buy Commodore project drew attention in technology and retro-computing media. Tom's Hardware reported on the plan, noting Simpson's claim to be acting CEO and summarizing the proposed buyout and team. HotHardware ran a feature titled "Beloved Commodore May Rise From the Ashes As Retro Community Takes Over," describing the fundraising effort, share agreement, and the list of former Commodore personnel joining the team. Time Extension published an article explaining Simpson's approach to contacting the rights holders and his intent to "reboot" the company. Hackaday covered the story as well, highlighting Simpson's efforts to arrange licensing or acquisition of the Commodore brand and expressing cautious optimism about the outcome. In June 2025 the online journal Tedium published an in-depth profile interview with Simpson, confirming his strategy and quoting his statement that the acquisition had succeeded with investor backing.