The curse of being a very wealthy indie developer

[egofree]

The man who sold Minecraft to Microsoft for £2.5 billion says it's made him miserable

Minecraft creator Markus Persson has posted a series of tweets revealing that he feels deeply lonely.

Persson sold his gaming company Mojang to Microsoft for $2.5 billion almost a year ago.

He spent a reported $70 million on an 8-bedroom, 15-bathroom mansion in Beverley Hills that came complete with a replica James Dean motorbike and a bar stacked with Dom Perignon.

Since, he’s been hosting parties attended by Selena Gomez and skateboarder Tony Hawk and had Skrillex DJ a pool party for guests in his infinity pool, which has panoramic views across LA. So many parties, that he was surprised recently to discover a huge pile of lost and found items left by guests in his garage.

So it’s surprising to learn that the video game programmer has never felt more alone. "The problem with getting everything is you run out of reasons to keep trying, and human interaction becomes impossible due to imbalance," he tweeted.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-man-who-sold-minecraft-to-microsoft-for-25-billion-says-its-made-him-miserable-10479865.html


I think developers here should be careful if they don't want to follow the same path ! 
More seriously, i am sure that to be very wealthy don't make you happy. If you are a billionaire, you will be surrounded by people who are only interested only by your money ! Fortunately, i don't have this problem ! 

[Goombert]

I found the story interesting though nothing new. I've thought about this myself before, I think it's something we all think about at one point another if we were rich.

It some ways the thought depresses me but I would probably just continue to find more projects to work on. I've always had a money doesn't matter philosophy and that's the best way to look at life. It's not the answer to all your problems, just live your life the way you want and be happy with what you've done.

[TheExDeus]

As I'm very interested in very technological things I would probably invest in that. Like Pearson posted on twitter: "I would Musk and try to save the world, but that just exposes me to the same type of assholes that made me sell minecraft again.". I don't think a hand-picked team working on a project you are interested in is going to expose him to assholes. If you have enough money to not need investors, then you are very much asshole free. I would also probably buy a lot of technology companies.

On top of that if I have a way to hide the fact I'm rich I would. Like if I could actually become rich without my name going out, then I think life would be a lot more normal. I think one of the problems why rich people feel isolated is because they actually isolate themselves.. like he bought a mansion in LA. If I was rich I would probably still live in an apartment.

[Darkstar2]

Fucking rubbish - give me that money and I can guarantee I won't be lonely and I'll know what to do with it - No interaction ? WTH! it depends on the individual, the character, the lifestyle you choose, he chose his path.  Let's not generalise here.   I'm sure I speak for many who could use even a fraction of that bloody money and not everyone would be lonely........maybe he didn't find the female gold digger to siphon his bloody fortune yet, maybe then he won't feel lonely anymore LOL!

[Darkstar2]

On top of that if I have a way to hide the fact I'm rich I would. Like if I could actually become rich without my name going out, then I think life would be a lot more normal. I think one of the problems why rich people feel isolated is because they actually isolate themselves.. like he bought a mansion in LA. If I was rich I would probably still live in an apartment.

Spot on Harri   ....as far as the apartment comment, well there's rich and filthy rich......might as well spend the money, you don't have to live in a mansion with 15 servants, but who lives in a cardboard box with that kind of money......... Not all rich people are miserable, and those who are make themselves miserable.

[The 11th plague of Egypt]

On top of that if I have a way to hide the fact I'm rich I would. Like if I could actually become rich without my name going out, then I think life would be a lot more normal. I think one of the problems why rich people feel isolated is because they actually isolate themselves.. like he bought a mansion in LA. If I was rich I would probably still live in an apartment.

Spot on Harri   ....as far as the apartment comment, well there's rich and filthy rich......might as well spend the money, you don't have to live in a mansion with 15 servants, but who lives in a cardboard box with that kind of money......... Not all rich people are miserable, and those who are make themselves miserable.

If I were that rich, I'd sleep in a cardboard box just to make sure everybody knows I can do what I want with my money, including "nothing at all".
If they start expecting you to behave "like a rich person", then they are already forcing you into a certain lifestyle.
No way!

[Darkstar2]

You can control it mate, it depends on you.  You can still continue living the way you do and enjoy your money.  It's the people who go public and literally advertise of their fortune and bag about it who become entangled.

and it's people who let themselves be influenced.   People who properly manage money and know how to enjoy life without being told what to do, will be happy.

So if you are given billion $ and don't know what to do with it, fine, you can give some to me I'll know what to do lol.

I would just continue living the same way, and not flash/advertise my riches or live the life of fame and celebrity just continue on my quiet life and enjoy the perks of being able to afford what you want to, travel, and live comfortably, and I would not live in a mansion either I mean what the bloody hell use to have 15 bathroom, lifts, pools, big space when you are not going to use any of it, unless you plan on throwing parties !  Some people lead that lifestyle and are PUBLIC !

Saying that all rich indie developers are miserable might not be fair, those who are decide to be fair........there are some poor people who are miserable too, some average earners who are miserable too.  Some things in life you choose.....when you are fucking poor, it's difficult to get out of the fucking hole.  When you have all the money you'll ever need, what happens to you can be fully controlled.......if you let money and others control you, then that is your character........

I'm quite sure that for many here if you had that kind of money you'd change your minds.....

Nobody wants to spend their entire lives working for a wee salary - it's most people's dreams to being able to have enough money to live worry free