A conversation with Béla Hatvany, pioneering entrepreneur in the automation of libraries and the information industry, born in 1938, turned into angel investor and philanthropist, on his journey, what’s enough, the role of AI and EI (empathetic intelligence), and the potential of precision fermentation.
Bela and his wife Ellen founded in 2011 Mustardseed Trust, a charity with the vision of a world in which all beings live in partnership with the web of life for all to thrive. Mustardseed Trust, which has been steadfastly supporting a variety of organisations and individuals across the globe and focusing on Care Economy and Regenerative Food Systems, is winding-up its operation this June.
After joining their last Jamboree, we are happy to share our deep gratitude for the Hatvany’s family and the Mustardseed Trust. The Transition Finance for Farmers series with Benedikt Bosel and the Regenerative Mind series with Emma Chow especially would have not been possible without them.
HOW THE TECH REVOLUTION STARTED IN THE 1950S-1960S AND HOW BELA GOT INVOLVED
Bela entered the nascent field of electronics and computing in the mid- 1950s, working with enormous, primitive machines built from discrete components like vacuum tubes. He details his roles progressing from repair to programming and systems analysis.
“I went into electronics in 56; I became a customer service engineer. I got into diagnostic programming to help service engineers to diagnose. So, I got into programming. I got into systems analysis. No one knew what systems were… I found myself working in the city of London with the five best banking salesmen, serving Lloyds, Westminster, and all these different incredible huge banking systems.” Béla Hatvany
WHAT IS ENOUGH?
Growing up during WWII with bombs literally blowing through his window, Bela’s early anger about the state of the world transformed into action after a pivotal moment of self-reflection. This led him to create businesses with what he calls “six bottom lines” – serving employees, investors, suppliers, clients, communities, and Earth in balance. His approach included substantial employee ownership and prioritizing collective happiness over personal gain.
Along the way Bela discovered that accumulating wealth beyond a certain point became detrimental to his life. He embraced “sustainable sufficiency” meaning the level of material comfort that felt right, realising that excess required management and distracts from what truly mattered.
“I emerged from all of this with discoveries… For myself the most comfortable way to live was in what I called sustainable sufficiency, but when I had too much, it ruined my life because I had to look after it and all it did was make more.’’ Béla Hatvany
WHY BELA COULD ONLY BE HAPPY IF EVERYONE AROUND HIM WAS HAPPY
Another core realization that shaped his approach to life and business: his personal happiness was intrinsically linked to the happiness of those around him. This understanding became a fundamental principle for how he structured his work and brought to the creation of the Mustardseed Trust.
“I noticed that I was only happy when the people around me were happy. So, I created these businesses that had six bottom lines, which were to serve everyone in a balanced way, and everyone broke down into employees, investors, suppliers, clients, the local community and the earth, and we really worked out how we would live that. We really did walk our talk about serving all the constituents in a balanced way.” Béla Hatvany
WHY HE KNEW IN THE FIFTIES THAT COMPUTERS WERE GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT
Despite prevailing scepticism from industry leaders (like IBM’s prediction of only 5 computers needed worldwide), Béla recognized the immense potential of computers in the 1950s. He saw it as a rapidly growing field where even someone with self-doubt could succeed.
Bela’s technical journey traces the entire evolution of modern computing. Beginning as an electrical engineer when a single computer byte required components “two feet long consuming a kilowatt of energy,” he eventually pioneered CD-ROM technology by organizing the historic High Sierra meeting where competitors collaborated to establish industry standards. This democratized access to scientific information, reducing search costs from £100 per hour to mere pennies.
“I read John von Neuman’s book The Computer and the Brain in the fifties and I had a very low opinion of myself. So, I thought, I really need to choose an area where even an idiot like me can succeed. And it’s going to grow like Topsy. And it became obvious to me that computers were going to become very important.” Béla Hatvany
LOOKING AHEAD ON AI AND PRECISION FERMENTATION
Looking forward, Bela offers provocative perspectives on artificial intelligence and cellular agriculture. He sees AI not as a single entity but “a million different intelligences” shaped by how they’re nurtured, and predicts precision fermentation will eventually replace traditional farming, allowing forests to reclaim land. Throughout, he emphasizes that “collaboration creates superabundance while competition creates artificial scarcity.”
- Why Bela built businesses with six bottom lines which were to serve everyone in a balanced way
- Why Bela started meditating, choosing inner journey over external ambition
- Cellular agriculture replacing traditional farming
- Empathetic AI as critical future
LINKS:
LINKED INTERVIEWS:
- Catherine Tubb, why precision fermentation completely disrupts industrial animal farming by 2030
- Anne Biklé and David R Montgomery – After studying more than 1000 papers the definitive answer, we are what our food ate
- Eric Smith – Commoditization is the root cause of all ecological destruction and human health impacts
- Allan Savory @ Groundswell – On what impact investors should focus on in regenerative agriculture
——————————————
Feedback, comments, suggestions? Reach me via Twitter @KoenvanSeijen, in the comments below or through Get in Touch on this website.
Join the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food newsletter on www.eepurl.com/cxU33P
The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.