Matriculating from Reykjavík Junior College in 1964 and graduating in law (cand.

from the University of Iceland in 1971, Björn was active in student politics and after graduation worked as a publishing director of Almenna bókafélagið from 1971 to 1974.

As foreign news editor he worked at daily Vísir in 1974, as Deputy Secretary General in the Prime Minister's office from 1974 to 1975.

In 2002, he led the unsuccessful attempt of the Independence Party to win elections to Reykjavík city council.

He is also the first Icelandic politician to keep his own website, which he started on 19 February 1995 and thus makes him one of the Internet's earliest bloggers.