On the front of the “mad scientist” who started Oakley and Red Digital Cinema LLC, Jim Jannard seems to continue having fun in retirement.
Jannard stepped away from Red in 2019, at the age of 70, mentioning “a few health issues” in a public announcement that also marked the end of the company’s Hydrogen holographic display smartphone.
He continues to tease his Instagram followers on projects he’s working on, emphasizing they’re “just for fun.” He keeps his fans guessing with close-up snapshots of those projects that provide hints, but never completely give away what he’s been keeping busy with in retirement.
One of his latest updates, however, proved to be a nod to the past that he said he’s working with his son Jamin Jannard on.
“Many have asked us if one of them is sunglasses. The answer is ‘yes.’ We miss the old ‘inventions wrapped in art,’” he wrote.
The post was met with swift encouragement from some of “Take our Oakley back!!!” and other similar sentiments.
Jannard sold Oakley to Milan-based eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group in 2007 for $2.1 billion, adding the brand to a portfolio that also includes Ray-Ban, Chanel and Burberry, in addition to retailers such as LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut.
