Video games are your usual funfare where players are handed a gun and simply go around wreaking havoc in the world. And no doubt those games are fun to play; those games earn a lot of money too; hence, many developers have based most of their catalogs around such games. But sometimes a developer comes along who does something different and unusual. One such guy is Markus Persson, the guy who made Minecraft.
This pixelated, first-person survival game is something else. It’s not just your typical run-of-the-mill survival game, but it’s an experience that tests people’s sense of creativity too. This independent game quickly became a success, making its creator an overnight success and incredibly rich.
Microsoft had bought Minecraft for $2.6 billion from its creator, Markus Persson
When people used to imagine a video game as your usual first-person shooter with a lot of violence, many developers were trying to change that opinion. Some developers tried changing that, and they did change it to some extent too. Valve made Portal 1 and Portal 2.
Nintendo did this with the Animal Crossing series of games, and there were a bunch of other puzzle games out there too. But when Minecraft launched back in 2011, nothing could match its success. The game was a literal sensation that no one could ignore.
People were playing Minecraft and loving it way too much. By September 2014, the game had already sold around 15 million copies. According to the Verge Then the game was sold to Microsoft along with its parent company, Mojang, for a price of $2.6 billion. This was a huge payday for Markus Persson, as this deal increased his net worth to a whopping $1.5 billion.
He then went on to develop a bunch of other games, such as Caller’s Bane, a strategy digital collectible card game. Then he developed Cliffhorse, a comedy game in the vein of Goat Simulator, etc. But none of these games were able to reach the popularity of Minecraft. And that’s no surprise either; one can only catch lightning in the bottle once, and that was in Minecraft. It is now so popular that it is being made into a movie. The best part is that to no one’s surprise, Jack Black is going to play an important role in it.
But this does not mean he is fading away anytime soon. Even today, he is one of the most influential people in the gaming industry, and as of 2024, according to Forbes, his total worth is $1.3 billion. This is all thanks to his way of living; in 2014, he purchased a home in the Trousdale Estate of Beverly Hills. Back then, he had paid $70 million for that house. The Verge reported that he outbid the likes of Beyonce and Jay-Z for that property.
Nowadays, he mostly spends his money and time on computer gear and traveling. Many of his fans can often find him on social media sites like Reddit, talking about the cons of quick success and such.
Still, this goes to show how incredibly life can change for people who are passionate enough to give time to the stuff they care about the most.
He is not the only game developer at the top
While Markus Persson has made a good name and reputation with Minecraft, he is not the only person at the top. There are some other revolutionary people right at the top with him. He is followed, albeit not very closely, by the Houser brothers; according to celebritynetworth both Dan and Sam are reportedly worth around $150 million each. These are the heads of Rockstar Games the company that develops GTA series.
Yes, it’s not close to Markus Persson, but let’s not forget that they keep on making games and will continue to grow over time. Still, Markus Persson made history with that Minecraft deal; it would be hard for many to even touch him doing anything similar.
