Markus Persson: podcast appearances and interviews

Markus Alexej Persson, known as Notch, is a Swedish video game programmer and designer born on June 1, 1979. He is recognized for creating Minecraft, which became the best-selling video game in history. Persson founded Mojang Studios in 2009, the same year he published an early version of Minecraft that sold over four million copies before its official release in 2011. Following this success, he stepped down as the lead designer and handed creative control to Jens Bergensten. In September 2014, Persson announced his intention to leave Mojang; the company was subsequently sold to Microsoft in November 2014 for approximately US$2.5 billion, making him a billionaire. Since 2016, Persson has made several controversial posts on Twitter concerning feminism, race, and transgender rights. These comments have contributed to his reputation as a polarizing figure. Microsoft has distanced itself from Persson in relation to Minecraft, removing mentions of his name from the game and excluding him from its tenth anniversary celebration. In 2015, he co-founded a game studio called Rubberbrain, which was rebranded in 2024 as Bitshift Entertainment.