Since the series' inception, gun manufacturers can be found at the heart of Borderlands story. Whether it is Dahl’s mining causing issues on Pandora and Elpis, Hyperion’s villain turn under the control of Handsome Jack, or Maliwan’s invasion of Promethea, players are constantly encountering major corporations on their adventures. While Sirens and Vaults are interesting, the brands behind the game’s guns are arguably the most important part of the Borderlands universe, which could leave many curious about the people running them.
However, despite being a longrunning franchise with several games to its name, there are several companies fans know little about. Vladof in particular is begging for lore, while S&S Munitions completely disappeared after the original game. Further, even though players know plenty about Dahl, there is almost no info on its CEO. Still, fans are aware of some CEOs as well as the vacant positions in certain brands, and the information could prove valuable since the manufacturers will surely remain relevant as the series continues.
Atlas: Rhys
Atlas is an interesting company, as it has gone from foe to friend as the series has progressed. Atlas was originally a corrupt and cruel brand, something shown through Athena’s backstory and various pieces of lore from the Secret Armory of General Knoxx DLC. Ultimately, this villainy came back to bite it. After being defeated by the original Vault Hunters in the first game, Atlas’ stock plummeted, and the deed fell into the hands of Hyperion.
With nobody wanting anything to do with Atlas, and Handsome Jack focused fully on Hyperion and his personal agenda, he left the deed sitting untouched in his office. Near the end of the original Tales from the Borderlands, Rhys Strongfork stumbles upon this document, taking it for himself and securing ownership of Atlas. As its new CEO, the clumsy but likable Rhys has survived through two different invasions, and he is doing his best to make himself and Atlas into a success. Under his leadership, Atlas’ name has slowly started to become less tainted, with the Crimson Lance no longer being something to be feared. Rhys’ weapons have also changed from the older Atlas designs, boasting bullet tracking so that anyone can use them well.
Hyperion: Unknown (Formerly Handsome Jack)
Though Hyperion once had the most iconic CEO in the franchise, it is unclear who is running things following the death of Handsome Jack. Jack originally came into power by killing the bossy and rude Harold Tassiter, but he did so after he had already been driven mad by the Vault on Elpis. In turn, while Jack gave Hyperion a military with his Loader Bots, the evil acts he committed during his search for the Warrior on Pandora have likely left the company in a tough spot. Though fans have their theories about who is now in control of Hyperion, with Athena being a name that is thrown around often, the current CEO is unknown.
Tediore: Unknown (Formerly Susan Coldwell)
Tediore is in an interesting position, as Gearbox brought its CEO to the forefront with New Tales from the Borderlands only to kill her off at the end of the story. Susan Coldwell was a cruel woman determined to rise above every other corporation, and she would have done just that if she was not stopped by Anu, Fran, and Octavio. Though Susan ensured that Tediore is less of a laughingstock with her near-domination of the other brands, her attack on Promethea will likely make Tediore a heavily despised company among the general population. As such, whoever takes over will find themselves in a similar position to Hyperion’s next CEO and Atlas’s CEO Rhys, as they will need to restore the image of Tediore.
Torgue: Mr. Torgue
While the always lovable Mr. Torgue has technically said he sold the rights to his company, he is a CEO in all but name. The entire face of the brand, Mr, Torgue’s love for explosions suits his company well, as all Torgue-branded guns are guaranteed to be built around rockets and grenades. Ultimately, Torgue just seems like a fun-loving guy who loves being the face of the company he founded. Though he appeared in the CEO meeting during New Tales from the Borderlands, he’d surely be much happier commentating over a circle of slaughter or playing Bunkers and Badasses.
Jakobs: Wainwright Jakobs
Currently run by Wainwright Jakobs, the Jakobs corporation has remained in the family for generations. While Wainwright’s ancestors suffered some silly deaths, as revealed by their statues at the family estate in Borderlands 3, they also did their part to put Jakobs on the map. The previous CEO Montgomery is killed by Tyreen Calypso off-screen, but the brand is in good hands, as Montgomery’s kindhearted but stern son Wainright is now the boss. Jakobs’ focus on one-shot, one-kill guns will likely remain, and as long as Wainright us in charge, Jakobs is sure to be an ally instead of a threat.
Maliwan: Katigawa Sr. (Formerly Katagawa Jr.)
New Tales from the Borderlands had a few interesting reveals in its CEO meeting, and while most are theorizing about Athena, Maliwan’s situation is also one to keep an eye on. Like Jakobs, the brand has been operated by one family for many years, though a majority of the Katagawas were cut down in a bid by Katagawa Jr. to become CEO. However, with Katagawa Jr. also killed, Katagawa Sr. has seemingly been forced out of retirement so he can continue running Maliwan. Fortunately, one of his children did survive, as players can find and save Naoko during a Borderlands 3 side quest. She seemed far more benevolent than her brother during this meeting, so perhaps she will be an ally if she returns to Maliwan and serves as her father’s successor.
Vladof and Dahl: Ivan Vladof and Stanton Dahl
Vladof and Dahl, despite the memorable branding for the former and story significance of the latter, have CEOs that are shrouded in mystery. Ivan Vladof is apparently the brother of Nurse Nina from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, but beyond that, nothing is known about him. Stanton Dahl, on the other hand, is only mentioned briefly in a Borderlands 2 radio ad, so fans know nothing about him beyond a name. However, given how much damage Dahl has done and how they regularly leave people behind, he is likely not a good person.
Anshin, S&S Munitions, and Pangolin: Unknown
Though S&S Muntions was founded by two brothers, players do not know the names of these characters or anything about their personalities. Since S&S Munitions has basically disappeared since the first Borderlands game, it is unlikely they will be mentioned again. It is unclear who runs the shield and class mod companies Pangolin and Anshin, either, but with their brands are built around protecting people instead of hurting them, they are likely not villainous.
With Eridian weapons obviously not having a manufacturer, and Bandit/Scav/COV guns being thrown together through scrapped weapon parts, there are only a few CEOs that players truly know. Hopefully, Gearbox will touch on Hyperion and Tediore’s CEO empty positions in the next Borderlands game, while also providing some much-needed lore about Ivan Vladof and Stanton Dahl.