News | Entertainment
11 Jul 2025 13:15
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Sir Clive Sinclair has died aged 81

    The inventor and entrepreneur, who was instrumental in bringing home computers to the masses and was best known for the landmark ZX Spectrum, has passed away at the age of 81 following a long illness


    Clive’s daughter Belinda confirmed the news on Thursday (16.09.21), stating he had died that morning at his home in London.

    The illness Clive was facing has not been made public, and his exact cause of death is not yet known.

    Clive was best known for popularising the home computer, but he also invented the pocket calculator, and his daughter described him as an “amazing person”.

    She told The Guardian newspaper: “He was a rather amazing person. Of course, he was so clever and he was always interested in everything. My daughter and her husband are engineers so he’d be chatting engineering with them.”

    Clive left school at the age of 17 and worked for four years as a technical journalist to raise funds to found Sinclair Radionics.

    His first home computer, the ZX80, revolutionised the computer market and was priced at £79.95 in kit form and £99.95 assembled.

    The computer was considerably cheaper than other models available at the time, and sold 50,000, units before being replaced by its successor, the ZX81, which cost £69.95 and sold 250,000.

    In 1982, the technology icon released the ZX Spectrum 48K, which was pivotal in the development of the British games industry, with many much-loved games – including ‘Knight Lore’, ‘Jet Set Willy’, and ‘Chuckie Egg’ – going on to inspire a generation after being developed on the computer.

    By 1983, Clive was awarded a knighthood.

    The inventor was also known for some of his less successful inventions, including the Sinclair C5, which was a battery-powered electric trike which launched in 1985 and was predicted to be a massive hit before it flopped upon release.

    The following year, Clive sold his computer business to Amstrad.

    His daughter Belinda, 57, added: “It was the ideas, the challenge, that he found exciting. He’d come up with an idea and say, ‘There’s no point in asking if someone wants it, because they can’t imagine it.’ ”

    Clive is survived by Belinda, his sons, Crispin and Bartholomew, aged 55 and 52 respectively, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     10 Jul: Sam Hunt and Hannah Lee Fowler have become parents for the third time
     10 Jul: Candace Cameron Bure's son saved her marriage
     10 Jul: Gary Coleman's ex-wife has failed a voluntary lie detector test about the circumstances surrounding his death
     10 Jul: Lana Del Rey and Matthew McConaughey are among the stars who have sent their well wishes to the people of Texas, following deadly flash floods in the state
     10 Jul: Maisie Smith and her boyfriend Max George are "more impulsive" since he underwent multiple heart surgeries
     10 Jul: Ashley Roberts' body reached "the point of shutdown" during her gruelling stint in Pussycat Dolls
     10 Jul: Police Scotland has issued a statement on safety ahead of Kneecap's concert in Glasgow on Tuesday night (08.07.25)
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    People hoping to get their hands on cheaper butter, via fundraisers, may have to wait a little longer More...



     Today's News

    Law and Order:
    Two people have pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a six year old child, in Wellington, in 2023 13:07

    International:
    Michael Storer third in Tour de France stage six, Tadej Pogacar gives up yellow jersey 13:07

    Business:
    People hoping to get their hands on cheaper butter, via fundraisers, may have to wait a little longer 13:07

    Law and Order:
    A 14-year-old has been jailed for three years and three months, for the fatal stabbing of a fellow teenager at a Dunedin bus hub 12:57

    Rugby:
    Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career 12:07

    Christchurch:
    A person is injured after crashing to a creek in Leeston, southwest of Christchurch 11:57

    Living & Travel:
    Belief more international routes are on the way for Christchurch 11:27

    Politics:
    Bangladesh's ousted PM Sheikh Hasina indicted on charges of crimes against humanity 11:17

    Law and Order:
    An Auckland man's been convicted for a second time - for distributing and possessing child sexual exploitation material 11:07

    Environment:
    Those living at the top of the South Island are bracing themselves as more heavy rain sets in 10:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd