Markus Persson

$1.43 B

Ranked #2649 in World

About Markus Persson

Markus "Notch" Persson, born June 1, 1979, in Stockholm, Sweden, embarked on his programming journey at seven, leading to the creation of the global phenomenon, Minecraft, in 2009. Despite a challenging early life marked by family issues and a passion fostered in solitude, Persson's innovative endeavors began post-graphic design studies, evolving from small games to founding Mojang Specifications AB. His refusal to join Valve Corporation, dedicating himself to Minecraft's development, culminated in Microsoft acquiring Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014, elevating Persson to billionaire status. Although he left Mojang afterward, Persson's impact endures, despite controversies over his opinions. Continuing to express interest in gaming innovations, Persson remains a significant figure in the industry, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion in 2023.

Born

June 01, 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden

Age

46 years

Source Of Wealth

Computer Games

Industries

Media & Entertainment

Citizenship

Sweden

Residence

Stockholm

Spouse

Elin Zetterstrand (Married: 2011, Divorced: 2012)

Children

Markus "Notch" Persson was born on June 1, 1979, in Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up in Edsbyn until age seven before moving back to Stockholm. His parents divorced when he was around seven, and he lived with his mother and sister. Persson's father struggled with depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and medication abuse. Influenced by his father, Persson developed an interest in video games at an early age. He began programming on his father's Commodore 128 home computer at age seven and created his first game, a text-based adventure game, at age eight. Persson attended graphic design school from ages 15 to 18 and was a loner in secondary school, spending most of his spare time with games and programming.

Markus Persson: Family

Persson's parents divorced when he was around seven years old. He lived with his mother and sister after the divorce. His father struggled with depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and medication abuse. In 2011, Persson's father committed suicide.

Markus Persson: Career Highlights

Persson started his career as a web designer. He worked at Game Federation, where he met Rolf Jansson. Together, they created the 2006 video game Wurm Online. Persson left Wurm Online in late 2007 and founded Mojang Specifications AB. He also worked as a game developer for Midasplayer (later known as King) from 2004 to 2009 and as a programmer for jAlbum.

Markus Persson: Companies

Persson has been involved with several companies throughout his career. He founded Mojang Specifications AB in 2007, which developed Minecraft. After selling Mojang to Microsoft in 2014, Persson founded a company called Rubberbrain with Porsér, but it had no games by 2021.

Markus Persson: Major Achievements

Persson's major achievement is the creation of Minecraft, one of the best-selling video games of all time. He also founded Mojang, which was acquired by Microsoft for $2.5 billion in 2014.

Markus Persson: Awards & Achievements

Persson has received numerous awards for his work, including the Swedish Game Awards - Game of the Year (2011), Golden Joystick Awards - Studio of the Year (2012), Develop Awards - Studio of the Year (2012), and BAFTA Games Awards - Best Game (2013).

Markus Persson: Personal Life & Legacy

Persson married Elin Zetterstrand in 2011, but they divorced in 2012.

He has a daughter from his marriage. Persson suffers from depression and mood swings and is a member of the Pirate Party of Sweden. He has criticized piracy but views unauthorized downloads as potential future customers. Persson has donated to various charities and given dividends back to Mojang employees. His net worth is estimated at around $1.2 billion in 2023. He lived in a multi-level penthouse in Stockholm and purchased a home in Beverly Hills for $70 million in 2014. Persson is also a member of the Swedish chapter of Mensa.

Markus Persson: Trivia

Persson has received criticism for political and social opinions expressed on social media. He has been accused of homophobia, racism, transphobia, and supporting conspiracy theories. Persson proposed a heterosexual pride holiday and made controversial statements about feminism and intersectional feminism. He expressed support for the Pizzagate and QAnon conspiracy theories and tweeted about transgender people and mental illness, leading to backlash. Microsoft removed mentions of his name from Minecraft and did not invite him to the game's 10th-anniversary celebration.

Wealth History

Timeline

June 1, 1979

Markus "Notch" Persson is born in Stockholm, Sweden.

1986

Persson's parents divorce, and he moves to Stockholm with his mother and sister.

1986

Persson begins programming on his father's Commodore 128 home computer.

1987

Persson creates his first game, a text-based adventure game.

1995

Persson attends graphic design school.

2004

Persson starts his career as a web designer.

2005

Persson works at Game Federation, where he meets Rolf Jansson.

2006

Persson and Jansson collaborate to create the video game Wurm Online.

Late 2007

Persson leaves Wurm Online and founds Mojang Specifications AB.

2009

Persson works as a game developer for Midasplayer (later known as King).

May 17, 2009

Persson releases the original edition of Minecraft on the TIGSource forums.

June 30, 2010

Minecraft enters its Alpha phase.

December 20, 2010

Minecraft enters its beta phase and expands to other platforms.

January 2011

Minecraft reaches one million registered accounts.

July 2011

Minecraft reaches ten million registered accounts.

November 2011

Mojang holds the first Minecon to celebrate the full release of Minecraft.

December 2011

Persson transfers creative control of Minecraft to Jens Bergensten.

2013

Persson abandons the development of 0x10c, a space sandbox game.

June 2014

Persson tweets about selling his share of Mojang, attracting interest from Activision Blizzard, EA, and Microsoft.

September 2014

Microsoft agrees to purchase Mojang for $2.5 billion, making Persson a billionaire.

November 2014

Persson leaves Mojang after the deal with Microsoft is finalized.

2015

Persson founds a company called Rubberbrain with Porsér.

2021

Rubberbrain has no games in development.

2011

Persson marries Elin Zetterstrand (divorced in 2012).

2011

Persson's father commits suicide.

2014

Persson purchases a home in Beverly Hills for $70 million.

2023

Persson's net worth is estimated at around $1.2 billion.

Markus Persson : FAQs

What is Markus Persson's current net worth?

Markus Persson's current net worth is $1.43 billion.

What is Markus Persson's current global rank among billionaires?

Markus Persson holds the 2649th position globally among billionaires.

What is Markus Persson's current ranking within the Sweden?

Markus Persson holds the 38th position in Sweden.

What was the change in Markus Persson's net worth compared to the previous year?

Markus Persson's net worth decreased by 24.27 million dollars compared to the previous year 2025, when his net worth was 1.45 billion dollars.

What are Markus Persson's main sources of wealth?

Markus Persson's main source of income comes from Computer Games.

In which industry does Markus Persson primarily operate?

Markus Persson is primarily involved in the Media & Entertainment industry.

How old is Markus Persson?

Markus Persson is 46 years old.

What inspired Markus Persson to create Minecraft, and when was it first released?

Markus 'Notch' Persson was inspired to create Minecraft by Infiniminer, a block-based open-ended mining game. The original edition of Minecraft was released on the TIGSource forums on May 17, 2009.

How did Markus Persson's early life in Stockholm influence his career in game development?

Markus Persson's early life in Stockholm was pivotal to his career; he developed an interest in video games influenced by his father, began programming at age seven on a Commodore 128, and created his first game at age eight. This early start laid the foundation for his future in game development.

When did Markus 'Notch' Persson leave Mojang, and what prompted his decision?

Markus 'Notch' Persson left Mojang in November 2014 after feeling exhausted from running the company due to intense media attention and public pressure. His interest in selling Mojang was confirmed when Microsoft agreed to purchase it for $2.5 billion in September 2014.

What has Markus Persson done since leaving Mojang, and what are his views on Minecraft's direction?

Since leaving Mojang, Markus Persson founded a company called Rubberbrain, expressed interest in creating a new video game studio and developing virtual reality games, critiqued the direction of Minecraft, calling it a 'dead game' in 2021, and organized '.party()' narrative-driven immersive events.

What controversies has Markus Persson faced, and how has it affected his association with Minecraft?

Markus Persson faced criticism for his political and social opinions, including accusations of homophobia, racism, and supporting conspiracy theories, which led to a public backlash. As a result, Microsoft removed mentions of his name from Minecraft and did not invite him to the game's 10th-anniversary celebration.