Notch Gives $3 Million to Mojang Employees

[Greg Tito]

Notch Gives $3 Million to Mojang Employees

Persson shares his good fortune with the rest of his team.

Minecraft is a big deal. From the day I first heard PayPal had suspended Markus "Notch" Persson's account because he earned too much money too fast [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103385-PayPal-Freezes-750K-in-MineCraft-Devs-Account], it was clear we were witnessing the birth of something important. Since September 2010, Minecraft has gone through several updates from alpha to beta and release as well as help Notch form an independent studio in his home country of Sweden. Mojang still has a modest staff of less than 20 employees, but in celebration of 5 million sales of Minecraft and the end of tax season, Notch distributed the $3 million in dividends he was entitled to all back to his "Mojangstas".

"Before tax, my dividends from Mojang for 2011 was about three million dollars. I chose to distribute that to the other employees," Notch said in a Tweet this morning [https://twitter.com/#!/notch/status/175174949277941760].

"Every single Mojangsta is a massive part of the reason Mojang is the best place on earth to work at right now," Notch @mollstam [https://twitter.com/#!/notch/status/175175266094678016]."

After hearing about so many programmers and game developers mistreated by various studio heads [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97391-Rockstar-Wives-Complain-About-Working-Conditions], it's refreshing to hear that Notch lives up to the hype by not only respecting his employees, but rewarding them handily as well.

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[Fappy]

That's a pretty sweet bonus. They have to be some of the wealthiest game programmers in the world right about now

 

[Qitz]

$150,000 a person is a pretty nice little bonus to get.

Does he really call them "Mojangsta?" That's really weird. Even for Sweden.

 

[IamQ]

$150,000 a person is a pretty nice little bonus to get.

Does he really call them "Mojangsta?" That's really weird. Even for Sweden.

Converting 150,000 dollars to our currency here in Sweden... wow. Nearly a million crowns. That's one helluva bonus.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Man, I would love to have that kind of money... HUH? Oh right, Notch is awesome.

 

[9thRequiem]

And he didn't even give me a penny.

I'm hurt.

 

[vrbtny]

Why didn't he finance a biology lab to genetically engineer real-life creepers?....

Oh, right, because that is a stupid idea.

 

[IamQ]

For a guy who made millions off a game about mining, Notch really isn't that vein.

To you my friend:

Spoiler

<youtube=6zXDo4dL7SU>

 

[Secret world leader (shhh)]

Is Notch doing everything in his power to become the single coolest ************ to walk the earth?

 

[Rect Pola]

This, children, is what we call "building company loyalty"

 

[Sandytimeman]

Im divided on how to feel about notch. He gives away millions to his employees but couldn't be bothered to pay his head liners at Minecon. Also speaking of minecon I still have a bad taste in my mouth on that whole deal with Yogscast.

But on the other hand notch is trying to fund pysonaughts 2

 

[TilMorrow]

For a guy who made millions off a game about mining, Notch really isn't that vein.

Well, I guess you could say he can add another Notch to his pickaxe.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

... He did whatnow?

Hire me! Please?

 

[remnant_phoenix]

If even a small handful of other business owners/shareholders/CEOs were like Notch, the world would be a better place and the OCCUPY people would be having parties instead of protests.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

Well, I guess you could say he can add another Notch to his pickaxe.

(cue CSI: Miami music)

YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

[LobsterFeng]

For a guy who made millions off a game about mining, Notch really isn't that vein.

Dang it, I was on a streak of not finding puns funny.

Did Notch keep any of that money for himself?

 

[ASnogarD]

Normally I would be annoyed at Notch always doing things to get into the spotlight... but this time its awesome, and newsworthy.
I am giving him the benefit of the doubt and not assuming he divided the spoils by position in the company and just gave each a equal portion ( not 20% for the CEO and 5% for the lads doing the mass art assets ).

 

[Callate]

Wow. Way to go, Notch.

It's sad how many companies seem to be organized on a principle of "The results of good times get distributed to the CEO, VPs, other upper-echelon staff, and the investors, and the bad times result in the "disposables" getting shafted."

In contrast, it's really good to hear of a boss who actually shares the trappings of success with those who helped make it possible.