Photo: Goran Zec / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Hans Reiser is one of the hardest people to write about. A Berkeley-trained computer scientist from Oakland, he earned real renown as the brilliant programmer behind the ReiserFS file system. Then, in 2008, he was convicted of the first-degree murder of his wife, Nina. I cannot separate the technical gift from the line he crossed as a human being, and I won't pretend to. His story is a sobering reminder that exceptional intelligence guarantees nothing about character or decency. I record him here without admiration, as a figure who carried both dazzling talent and irredeemable darkness in the same life.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hans Reiser
- Name (Japanese)
- ハンス・ライザー
- Reading
- はんす・らいざー
- Born
- December 19, 1963 (age 62)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rabbit
- Origin
- Oakland, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- programmer / entrepreneur / computer scientist / murderer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of California, Berkeley
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Hans Reiser born?
Born December 19, 1963 (age 62).
Where is Hans Reiser from?
Hans Reiser is from Oakland, California, United States.
What does Hans Reiser do?
Hans Reiser works as programmer, entrepreneur, computer scientist, murderer.
Programmer — see all → · Entrepreneur — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.