Max Jakobson was a Finnish diplomat and journalist with Finnish-Jewish descent. Jakobson was an instrumental figure in shaping Finland's policy of neutrality during the Cold War. In 1971, Jakobson was a candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary-General. His candidacy failed, ostensibly because of a Soviet Union veto.

Max Jakobson was born in 1923 in Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia), as son of Finnish-Jewish tailor Leo Jakobsson and his ethnic Finnish wife Helmi (née Virtanen). He began his career as a journalist. He worked at the BBC. From 1953 to 1974 he was employed by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs eventually acting as Finland's ambassador to the United Nations in 1965-1971 and Finland's Ambassador to Sweden in 1971−1974.