Japanese Founder of Largest Consumer Electronics Firm Dies

Konosuke Matsushita, self-made business tycoon and founder of the world’s largest consumer electronics firm, died of pneumonia at a hospital today. He was 94.

Matsushita--often called Japan’s Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller--had been in poor health in recent days and lived in the Matsushita Memorial Hospital in nearby Moriguchi.

Matsushita had served as an adviser to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. since he resigned as chairman in 1973. Matsushita’s products are known worldwide under such brand names as National, Panasonic and Quasar.

He built his business empire twice. By the time World War II broke out in 1941, he had built a home appliance empire with more than 10,000 employees. But after the war the company and its affiliates were ordered disbanded by the Allied Occupation Forces as a zaibatsu, or giant business combine.