In 2012, Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson took home 640 million krona — $US101 million — in licencing fees for the game, according to a report in the Swedish financial press. What’s he going to do with that kind of money? Well, he tells Reddit, he may finally get a car.
“It’s weird as fuck,” he said, in a comment on r/games. “I grew up in a relatively poor family, but once I got a decent job, I never really had to worry about money. My hobbies were playing games and programming, so there wasn’t any real drain. I could eat out when I wanted to and go to the movies without having to save up for it. I still had to save up for trips and to be able to buy computers or consoles, but that just felt normal.
“Now, all of the sudden, as a result of how modern society works, I managed to somehow earn a shit-ton of money. I still like playing games and programming, and once I had the latest computer and consoles, there really isn’t much more to spend the money on than travelling. I might eventually get a driver’s licence so I can buy a car.”
After setting aside money to “make sure my family is comfortable” and spending some on “living out your dreams” Notch plans to make charitable donations, listing children’s causes and information freedom among the ones getting his attention. He walks the walk, too. He’s already given $US250,000 to the cause of reforming software patents and last year he gave the $US3 million in Mojang dividends he earned back to its employees.
Notch earned $US101 million USD from Minecraft in 2012 [Reddit]
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