Early Life
Markus Alexej Persson, widely known as Notch, was born on June 1, 1979, in Stockholm, Sweden. Growing up in Edsbyn, his early life was marked by an interest in computers and programming, sparked by his father's Commodore 128. By age seven, he had begun writing code, and by eight, he had written his first game, a text-based adventure.
Rise to Success
Persson's career began in web design. He later worked for Midasplayer (later King), developing browser games. His breakthrough came with Minecraft, an open-world sandbox game that quickly gained immense popularity. The initial release in 2009 was followed by a full retail release in 2011. By 2014, the game had sold over four million copies.
Key Business Strategies
The key to Minecraft's success was its open-ended gameplay and the creative freedom it offered players. Persson's decision to sell Mojang to Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion was a strategic move that solidified his financial standing. After this he started a new company called Rubberbrain, which was relaunched in 2024 as Bitshift Entertainment.
Philanthropy
Persson has contributed to various charities, including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He also gave $3 million in dividends to Mojang employees in 2011. More recently he donated $250,000 to the Electronic Frontier Foundation in 2012.