Walter O'Brien
Walter O'Brien
| Born | 24 February 1975 |
|---|---|
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | Republic of Ireland |
| Alma mater | University of Sussex |
| Occupation | CEOof Scorpion Computer Services |
| Known for | Executive Producer ofScorpion |
| Television | Scorpion |
Scorpion TV Series intro
Walter O'Brien (born 24 February 1975) (aka "Scorpion") is an Irish businessman, information technologist, executive producer, and media personality who is the Founder and CEO of Scorpion Computer Services, Inc. and Scorpion Studios, Inc.[85] Scorpion Computer Services is a global think tank for hire that provides “intelligence on demand” as a concierge service for “ANY funded need”. Forbes and CBS report O'Brien’s net worth as exceeding $1 billion US.[2]
O'Brien was the inspiration for and executive producer of the CBS TV Drama series,"Scorpion" (in fourth season) inspired by his life with over 26 million viewers in the United States and airs in 188 countries to up to a billion viewers a week.[3] O'Brien was diagnosed as a high IQ child prodigy was certified by United States Department of Homeland Security as being of National Interest to the US and granted him an Extraordinary Abilities visa E11.[114]
O'Brien has mitigated risk for 7 years on $1.9 trillion of investments and has invented and applied artificial intelligence engines to protect US war fighters in Afghanistan. Walter has personally applied Artificial Intelligence to the United States Navy's command and control system Agile as well as the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and recently deployed his AI Engine ScenGen to the US Army's Drone Fleet. Walter has created over 150 unique technology inventions, is an Irish national coding champion and competed in the Olympics in Informatics. Walter was recognized by the Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station Community Council for saving countless lives and awarded a member's Combat Infantryman Badge and Battle Dress Uniform from Operation Desert Storm.
Walter is the youngest recipient of Unite4:Good's Celebrity ICON Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award and has received a commendation from the Mayor of Kilkenny's office for his contribution to world peace.
Walter was the keynote speaker at Mensa Internationl's Annual Gathering, has won C-Suite Quarterly's Visionary award and provided the seed funding for TaxiWatch, a suicide prevention program that has saved over 130 lives to date.
He is known for having an IQ of 197 and for hacking NASA at age 13 to obtain the Space Shuttle Columbia blueprints.[3] He also has the same surname as Christian O'Brien.
| Born | 24 February 1975 |
|---|---|
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | Republic of Ireland |
| Alma mater | University of Sussex |
| Occupation | CEOof Scorpion Computer Services |
| Known for | Executive Producer ofScorpion |
| Television | Scorpion |
Early life
Childhood and education
At the age of 16, Walter O'Brien was invited to present his PCPAL project to the members of the prestigious Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science Society (AICS).
Walter O'Brien was born in 1975 in Clonroche, County Wexford, Ireland. The second of five children, he grew up on a farm. He attended St. Patrick's National School in Clonroche until his family moved to Kilkenny, when he was 13 years old. There he attended St. Mary's Christian Brothers School (CBS).[3]
After completing his Leaving Certificate at St Kieran's College in Kilkenny, O’Brien attended the University of Sussex, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and artificial intelligence.[118]
Early interest in computers
World Computer Olympics: An 18-year-old college student becomes Callan's very first Olympian.
According to the New Ross Standard , a local paper in O'Brien's home county, his interest in computers began when his Primary school started offering a computer course. O'Brien's father gave him livestock as payment for doing chores on the farm, which he sold in order to purchase an Amstrad personal computer at age nine, which is when his interest in computers started.[3]
When O'Brien was thirteen years old ( c. 1988 ), he hacked into NASA under the pseudonym "Scorpion". Silicon Republic, an Irish technology news outlet reported that the NSA, through Interpol, appeared at his home following the hack. He told the agents he would help show them vulnerabilities in their network in exchange for not getting into trouble. According to O'Brien, he had a waiver ready but he couldn't provide more details on the deal that was made due to non-disclosure agreements.[7]
At age 16, O'Brien presented his "PCPAL" project to members fo the Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science Society (AICS).
Career
A photo of Walter O'Brien
O'Brien founded his company Scorpion Computer Services at age 13 in 1988 to provide information technology and education.[8] The Irish Times reported he brought the business state side in the late 1990s, after graduating from college and moving to the United States.[3] The New Ross Standard wrote that Scorpion Computer Services expanded into security and risk management, and The Irish Times also described Scorpion Computer Services as an artificial-intelligence company.[5] In 2014, O'Brien described his company as a think tank for "high IQ individuals". He serves as Scorpion Computer Services, Inc.'s CEO.[13]
In 2015 O'Brien founded and serves as CEO of Scorpion Studios, Inc. providing technical advice on film realism, weapons, physics and biomechanics.
Scorpion Studios were credited as technical adviser for Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Spider-Man spinoff movie Venom, starring Tom Hardy.[46]
O'Brien also founded ConciergeUp.com, marketed as a think tank of geniuses that execute "any funded need".[120]
He also developed ScenGen (Scenario Generator), which won CONNECT's 2011 "Most Innovative Product of the Year" in the "Aerospace and Security Technologies" category.[45] O'Brien has spoken at numerous events, including delivering the keynote at the Houston Innovation Conference and Showcase,[20] The Founder Institute,[21] Lido Consulting's Family Office Investment Symposium,[22] the Family Office Association's Global Spring Summit,[23] and LawLoop.com's LegalTech 2012 conference. He served on the board of the Houston Technology Center.[24]
Boston Marathon bombing
A month after the bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon, Fox 11 LA-KTTV (Los Angeles) reported O'Brien's company, Scorpion Computer Services, Inc., developed video-analysis software similar to that used by the FBI to catch the bombers.[25]
CBS show
A photo of Elyes Gabel, who plays O'Brien in the CBS series Scorpion
Scorpion TV Series logo
According to O'Brien, in an effort to recruit geniuses for his company Scorpion Computer Services and promote a heroic aspect of computer science to young people, they came up with the idea to create a television show.[27] He contacted Scooter Braun who shopped the idea to CBS. In September 2014, CBS premiered the first season of the drama series, Scorpion, based on O'Brien's life experiences and starred Robert Patrick.[4][3] O'Brien served as an executive producer for all four seasons of the series, and regularly contributed to story development.[4][28] For his part in story development O’Brien consulted with series writers on technical aspects of the plot, including how he would solve problems presented in the show's scripts.[28] O'Brien also consulted with Elyes Gabel, the actor who plays the fictional Walter O'Brien. In an interview with CBS News to promote the second series, Gabel said about O'Brien that *"*he's out saving the world or talking to, you know, the Prince of Liechtenstein. So every now and again, I get the chance to talk to him and he'll call me up. And sometimes we talk about the show. Sometimes we talk about characters."[29]
The first season attracted more than 26 million viewers.
CBS ordered a full season of Scorpion in October 2014 and renewed it with four seasons in total. The show was nominated for Favorite New TV Drama at the 2015 People's Choice Awards in November of that year.[46]
Personal life
O'Brien receiving a certificate from the Mayor of Kilkenny
O'Brien has lived in Los Angeles, California since 2001 when he was issued an E11 visa to immigrate to the United States. This type of visa is set aside for people with "extraordinary abilities" and/or who can be considered a national asset.[8] In 2015, Kilkenny People reported that O'Brien received a mayoral certificate from the mayor of Kilkenny for his contribution and dedication to the Irish community in Los Angeles.[36] O'Brien helped fund the start-up cost of Kilkenny Taxi Watch which Kilkenny People reported as having prevented 45 suicides through July 2015.[36][37] By April 2016,Taxi Watch stated on their Facebook page that the number of lives saved had reached 100.
Accomplishments and awards
2018 O'Brien receives his 2nd Humanitarian award for anti-sex trafficking[90]
2017 O'Brien is the youngest recipient in history by over 15 years to receive the esteemed Celebrity ICON Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement award from unite4:good.[91]
2017 O'Brien awarded Board seat for STARBASE – A Department of Defense sponsored program.[97]
2016 City of Los Angeles Certificate of Recognition for efforts in promoting global peace.[98]
2016 Scorpion Computer Services, Inc. Wins Los Angeles Business Journal - Innovation Award.[99]
2015 Walter invited as Keynote speaker at RAND (Established in 1948) a nonprofit global policy think tank originally formed by Douglas Aircraft Company to provide research and analysis for the United States Armed Forces.
General Henry H. Arnold, commander of the United States Army Air Forces, established Project RAND with the objective of looking into long-range planning of future weapons.[100]
2015 Scorpion accepted by Stryke Industries (118 years of military service).
With Scorpion’s military track record having deployed ScenGen to the Air Force, the Navy and DISA this new partnership with Stryke helps bring value to the warfighter on the front lines, the strength of national engagement and the determination to integrate disruptive technologies across the federal government.[101]
2015 Award recognizing over 2 decades of working with government and military agencies and contractors to employ his artificial intelligence systems to protect American military personnel from the Gulf war to Operation Desert Storm:
2015 O'Brien received an outstanding achievement award from Wexford Chamber of Commerce.[104]
2015 Scorpion Computer Services' ConciergeUp.com Wins Client GiBaCon A Deal Worth $139 Million.[105]
2015 Walter O'Brien Nominated Los Angeles 'Irishman of the Year'.[106]
2015 Mayor of Kilkenny City recognition of seed funding of TaxiWatch anti-suicide nonprofit.
2015 American Leadership award by the American Economic Institute
2014-2018 “Scorpion” the CBS TV Drama that O'Brien Executive Produced won the Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2018 - “Best Action and Science Fiction TV series” as well as “Best Of TV Awards 2018 - WINNER - Best Action or Drama Program” and was nominated for People's Choice Award Favorite New TV Drama, TV Guide Award Favorite New Show, Young Entertainer Awards and Young Artist Awards 2016.[107][108]
2014 O'Brien (as executive producer) premiere’s his life story in the form of the CBS TV drama “Scorpion” to 26m viewers (Nielsen ratings).[109]
2013 Creative Artists Agency (CAA), founded in 1975, is the world’s leading talent and sports agency accepted O'Brien, CEO of Scorpion as one of their prestigious speakers.
O'Brien joins the ranks of the world’s foremost minds that include Sir Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Al Pacino, Morgan Freeman, Ashton Kutcher, James Cameron, Ray Kurzweil and Oliver Stone.[110]
2011 Walter's Artificial Intelligence Technology ScenGen wins Most Innovative Product (MIP) Connect Award competition in the Aerospace and Security Technologies.[111]
2011 California Legislature Assembly Certificate of recognition
2010 O'Brien is a speaker for IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
2010 Scorpion awarded contracts in the application of Artificial Intelligence Technology to Agile the Navy's command and control system and Aegis ($10bn ballistic missile defense system).[112]
1996 Awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence with honors from Sussex University in the United Kingdom.
1991-1993 At 16, O'Brien ranked first in national high-speed computer problem solving competitions.
At 18, he represented his country in the World Olympics in Informatics.[115]