People

Markus Persson

Minecraft's creator

Markus 'Notch' Persson created Minecraft as a solo developer, sold Mojang to Microsoft for $2.5 billion, and became a cautionary tale about wealth and creative fulfilment.

pcMaclinux developerfounderindie 2009–2014

Overview

Built a world, sold a company. Notch developed Minecraft during nights and weekends, iterating publicly as players bought alpha access. The game’s success outpaced his ambitions—millions of players, merchandising empires, cultural phenomenon status. Microsoft’s $2.5 billion acquisition let him walk away wealthy but unfulfilled. His post-Minecraft trajectory became a study in what success can’t buy.

Fast facts

  • Born: 1979.
  • Handle: Notch.
  • Creation: Minecraft.
  • Sale: $2.5 billion (2014).

Minecraft development

PhasePeriod
Cave GameMay 2009
AlphaJune 2010
BetaDecember 2010
ReleaseNovember 2011
Microsoft saleSeptember 2014

Development approach

PrincipleExpression
Public developmentPlayable from start
Community feedbackFeature integration
Iterative releasesFrequent updates
Solo foundationOne-person beginning

Pre-Minecraft work

CompanyRole
KingGame developer
JalbumProgrammer
Personal projectsWurm Online co-creator

Mojang growth

StageScale
SoloJust Notch
Early teamHandful of developers
Pre-sale40+ employees
MicrosoftAbsorbed into Xbox

Post-sale

AspectReality
WealthBillionaire status
Projects0x10c cancelled
Public presenceControversial
HappinessSelf-described struggles

See also