Notch to receive $1.4bn if Microsoft buys Mojang

Markus ‘Notch’ Persson could walk away with $1.4bn if his studio is acquired by Microsoft.

We reported earlier this week that the Minecraft creator instigated discussions to sell Mojang Specifications to the platform holder, reportedly for a whopping $2bn.

Now the Financial Times is reporting that thanks to Persson’s 70 per cent stake in the Minecraft studio, he would personally receive $1.4bn if the deal were to go through. It’s said that he will leave the studio if Microsoft acquires it.

Mojang co-founder Jakob Porser and chief exec Carl Manneh could also stand to benefit from the studio’s sale, according to MCV.

The FT says Mojang employees "have talked of the pressure Mr Persson felt to replicate the success of Minecraft", adding that he scrapped development of mysterious game 0x10c and later released a "jokey throwaway game called Cliffhorse".