Phil Harrison, the game industry's gentlest, most sharply-dressed giant, worked at Sony for 15 years. Then he left. While he ended up joining Atari, turns out the original plan was to start his own company.
Speaking with Edge, Harrison says:
This isn't new information, but our original plan was to start our own company. It was while studying that process that David [Gardner, CEO of Atari's parent company, Infogrames] met the asset management company that owned the majority share holding of Infogrames. So we decided to take our blank-sheet-of-paper vision and apply it to Atari.
Not new information for you, Phil, but it is to us! Shame on you for depriving the world of a company bearing your name. Or face. Or a stylistic impression of your chewing gum.