Kári Stefánsson on sudden dismissal: “I am a happy old man now”
"There is no bitterness in me, I am a happy old man right now," says Kári Stefánsson, a scientist for decades who does not let a very sudden change in the state of affairs rob him of his sleep. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Kári Stefánsson, one of the world’s most prominent geneticists and founder of deCode Genetics, says he was not surprised by his sudden dismissal from the company he led for nearly three decades. Speaking to mbl.is, Stefánsson described the abrupt end to his role as a natural result of differing scientific priorities between himself and Amgen, deCode’s parent company.
“I am probably – and I know this sounds like I’m beating my chest – the best-known geneticist in the world today and the one who has produced the most,” Stefánsson said, unfazed by the decision that came without warning on May 1, Labor Day.
The meeting in Thousand Oaks
The dismissal occurred during a meeting at Amgen headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California. Stefánsson said he was led to believe the meeting would concern a potential collaboration with Abu Dhabi. Instead, he was informed that his work with deCode was over. Meanwhile, his longtime colleagues Patrick Sulem and Daníel Guðbjartsson were quietly removed from the meeting and flown back to Iceland by private jet.
Different approaches
Stefánsson believes the decision stemmed from a fundamental difference in approach: Amgen favors targeted drug development, while his passion lies in broad, exploratory research. “When it comes to science, I am a bit of a party animal, looking for everything between heaven and earth,” he said.
Despite the abrupt nature of his dismissal, Stefánsson harbors no bitterness. “I am a happy old man now,” he said. He plans to complete two books he has been writing and is open to continuing his work in genetics elsewhere.
“I’ve worked seven days a week for 29 years. I’ve become very good at working hard – I’m not sure I’m quite as good at working little – but I’ll find a way out of this,” he said with conviction.
Stefánsson leaves behind a legacy of groundbreaking work that placed Iceland at the forefront of global genetic research, and despite stepping down, his scientific curiosity remains undimmed.
