Minecraft Creator Notch Lists Beverly Hills Mansion for $70 Million, Citing 'Low' Price

Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator of Minecraft, sold his game studio Mojang to Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion. He then moved to the U.S. and famously outbid Jay-Z and Beyonce for a Beverly Hills mansion, paying $70 million at the time. Now, he's putting it on the market.

Despite L.A.'s median home value more than doubling, Notch is seeking a quick sale on the 22,300-square-foot estate, which includes 15 bathrooms, a $200,000 candy room, and a private nightclub. According to the L.A. Times, the market for ultra-luxury homes has cooled over the past decade, explaining the “low” asking price.

If it sells, it will be the most expensive home sale in Beverly Hills this year and the second-priciest in L.A. County. When Notch bought it, the house featured a 2,500-bottle wine cellar, an art installation centered on a chrome machine gun, eight bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a movie theater, and a swimming pool.

Notch added the nightclub, a recording studio, and a DJ booth for hosting parties for Beverly Hills' rich and famous. He says he doesn't spend much time in L.A. anymore, which is why he's selling.

Interestingly, he's not alone. The listing coincides with a broader exodus of tech moguls from L.A. Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have set up homes in Florida to avoid Proposition 40, a proposed wealth tax up for vote next week that would levy a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of all California billionaires.

Apparently, the rich are united on this issue. According to Politico, a record $612 million from more than 70 current and former California billionaires was pumped into this year's state elections, with nearly 50% of the funds aimed at defeating Proposition 40. Notch did not mention the tax as a reason for listing the property.

The Minecraft creator hasn't released any major video games since selling Minecraft to Microsoft. The game remains one of the most popular in the world and continues to receive regular updates. Microsoft recently launched Minecraft Dungeons 2, a sequel spinoff that turns the blocky characters into warriors and mages in a Diablo-esque dungeon crawler. A Minecraft Movie, the big-screen adaptation, surpassed $700 million at the box office, and a sequel is in the works.