Nils Torvalds

Nils Torvalds works with Swedish language radio and TV in Finland. He was based in Moscow, Russia 1995-1999. Since 2001 he's reporting from Washington, DC, USA.

Known to most as Nikke Torvalds, he is the son of the poet Ole Torvalds, and the father of the computer programmer Linus Torvalds of Linux kernel fame.

Torvalds was active in the Communist Party, since he was a college student during the 1960s. His political beliefs developed after learning of the atrocities committed against communist sympathizers in Finland. He later charged that his enthusiasm for the Party and its beliefs were the result of naiveté.

He met his wife Anna at their university. As the family story is told, he had a rival for Anna's attention on an outing for a club of Swedish-speaking students. As they were preparing to make the trip back to Helsinki, he had the rival oversee the loading of the club's bus. He then used the occasion to sit down next to Anna. They married years later.

They divorced later.