6 ms·

Notch: “I've never felt more isolated”

44 points by milkshakes 11y ago

pronoiac 11y ago
Huh, I thought I'd read something from jwz on handling wealth, but I only see a bit on not becoming a creepy asshole.[1] I think I've seen the advice, either: * surround yourself with people with more money than you OR * get back to work [1] http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/corleone.html http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/corleone.html
mindcrime 11y ago
I'm reminded of the old saw "Money may not be able to buy happiness, but I'd rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable". I'm sure their are dark sides to being rich, and I hope I get to experience them one day. Because I know first-hand what the dark sides to being poor are. And this is one case where I will not agree with "better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't know".
- radoslawc 11y ago
  Variant of this saying I like best is: Money may not bring you happiness, but it feels better to cry in new Mercedes than in city bus.
kirk21 11y ago
Hope he uses his frustration (and brainpower + money) to do something that improves the world.
idlewords 11y ago
There's a whole class of legitimate bad feelings that it's socially impossible to complain about without coming off as an entitled jerk. I'm sure what notch is feeling is real, but complaining about it in public is just going to make matters worse.
- jonesb6 11y ago
  Let he who has not reached out to people for attention via social networking cast the first stone.. Most of us have done it, its very human to seek help from other people while having emotional distress. In modern times that often means social media (even if it isn't the most logical approach, emotional distress doesn't often follow logic)..
  - doomspork 11y ago
    I'm sure he has less public channels to seek help on.
gcatalfamo 11y ago
We have already read this on multiple sources...I'd suggest letting him be instead of showcasing his despair. (even if billionaire despair)
pvnick 11y ago
That's what happens when you get everything you think you want - money, fame, things - they end up not bringing you happiness. It's one of the great paradoxes of the human condition. It can feel terrible, that everything you thought you wanted brought nothing but despair. I hope Notch finds his way. I can only feel empathy for the kind of person who uses his new-found wealth to construct a candy wall.
- mcphage 11y ago
  (a minor aside: the candy wall came with the house, he didn't build it)
mratzloff 11y ago
It seems like a sad life, and he has also lost out forever on meeting a woman he knows without a doubt isn't marrying him for his success. His mansion and parties seem like desperate attempts to fill the emotional void inside himself. But it's hollow, as he's now seen. The way to fill it is by dedicating himself to something that has no financial upside--doing good, in the vein of Clinton, Carter, and Gates. That will give him the kind of fulfillment that a candy wall never will. In the course of doing so, he may even meet someone similarly like minded. Less altruistically, he could also create games and release them pseudonymously through a shell company, so he knows any success is because it's a good game, and not because it's from the creator of Minecraft.
- MichaelGG 11y ago
  Is his face that famous? Especially if he lost a bit of weight? Seems like it would be very easy to setup a new identity that'll pass any checks done by potential spouses and he's unlikeky to be recognized by most people. If anyone says he looks like that Minecraft guy, give them a strange look and a "I wish" or a "hah, my nephew said the same thing". The strangest thing about the whole thing is that Mojang employees got rather little. If you were out with workmates and found a $2500 lottery ticket, it might be seen odd to say "here's 23 cents". Sure, the scale and absolute values make it different. Why not bring those folks along for a ride? If they could stand your code and they all got along well enough to make games together...
  - weaksauce 11y ago
    out of curiosity, how much did they get? he seems to think that he "took care of them" based on his tweets.
    - erics32 11y ago
      About 250k USD after tax.
      - MichaelGG 11y ago
jaredmcateer 11y ago
Gabe Newell has a similar net worth to Notch, maybe as one self made gaming billionaire to another he could give him some tips on handling it.
- mitwilsch 11y ago
  Minecraft 3 confirmed?
a3n 11y ago
So build something.
jonesb6 11y ago
Notch has always struck me as a genuinely good character. Going back to the earliest days of Mojang when they were in that "holy shit guys we're making too much money" phase where their logistics just couldn't handle the revenue Minecraft was generating yet.. and then hearing him talk about the emotion when he saw his bank account pass the million mark. He just seemed different in the best kind of way. It's a shame that article was fairly unsubstantiated and basically just showed a few bare tweets Notch himself made a little while ago. Wherever Notch really is right now at a personal level I wish him nothing but the best, and if he is in a hole that he finds himself quickly out of it. Because I would be shocked if he hasn't already done some amazing philanthropic work, he's just seems like the type who enjoys making other people's lives better..
ja27 11y ago
The previous discussions about this in the past 2 days: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10139734 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10139734 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10144018 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10144018 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141538 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141538
pan69 11y ago
He should talk to Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and the likes. He obviously hasn't adjusted to the person he has become. He doesn't seem to realize that the money he made from the Minecraft sale has changed him. He still thinks he's the same person he was before, but he's not. With the wealth he has got he can expand his abilities and capabilities. He's not a game dev guy any more, same as Bill Gates is not a software guy any more. In my opinion, the best thing he can do is to find a cause he cares deeply about and try to change the world for the better for the people who are deeply affected by it. Fuck $70 million dollar mansions and parties at Ibiza, this guy can change the world for the better, maybe even if it just a little. Stop feeling sorry for yourself Notch, get your shit together and make a difference while you can.
- nostrademons 11y ago
  It's not his responsibility to change the world. He just wants to be a regular guy; what's wrong with that?
  - pan69 11y ago
    He's not a regular guy. He wants to be a regular guy? Get rid of the freaking money.
    - runevault 11y ago
      Even if he gets rid of the money he's still Notch. Once you create something that has such a wide impact it is hard to be "normal" without fleeing to a part of the world not touched by whatever.
      - WaltPurvis 11y ago
        I'd literally never heard of "Notch" until five minutes ago, and I'm a techie who obsessively follows tech news, so there are obviously innumerable people who've never heard of his "wide impact" and couldn't care less about it -- there's no barrier whatsoever to him living a "normal" life.
doomspork 11y ago
"Woe is me." — Notch. Are we being serious? Complaining about your wealth, high roller lifestyle, and fancy destinations doesn't garner much sympathy. Is it really a surprise that he is "alone"? Notch rose to popularly by playing the indie developer card and as soon as he had the chance, he did an about face. He may have seen to it that his team was taken care of but that doesn't change the fact that he took the money and ran. Good on him making billions more than I ever will but don't expect people to feel sorry because it's lonely when you flaunt your wealth.
- verbin217 11y ago
  I feel bad for him. I might not tell him for fear my pity might incent such a state. It's still sad to see him essentially ejected from his life and otherwise incompatible with the social strata in which he's landed.
  - doomspork 11y ago
    He landed where he wanted to land. There are many rich people who live everyday lives amongst us, they don't make spectacles out of their purchases. When you act like a brat people respond to you accordingly, regardless of how much money you have.
    - verbin217 11y ago
      Maybe I'm not familiar with enough of the backstory. Where he has landed is fame. Not indie developer fame. Fucking fame. He very apparently wasn't ready for it and is making it worse by visibly floundering now. I feel fucking bad for him. Honestly, you too.
    - mcphage 11y ago
      > He landed where he wanted to land. I don't think he knew where he wanted to land. He did what he thought he was supposed to do, and he doesn't really know what to do next.
- dvt 11y ago
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

44 points by milkshakes 11y ago

Huh, I thought I'd read something from jwz on handling wealth, but I only see a bit on not becoming a creepy asshole.[1] I think I've seen the advice, either: * surround yourself with people with more money than you OR * get back to work [1] http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/corleone.html http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/corleone.html

mindcrime 11y ago

I'm reminded of the old saw "Money may not be able to buy happiness, but I'd rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable". I'm sure their are dark sides to being rich, and I hope I get to experience them one day. Because I know first-hand what the dark sides to being poor are. And this is one case where I will not agree with "better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't know".

radoslawc 11y ago
Variant of this saying I like best is: Money may not bring you happiness, but it feels better to cry in new Mercedes than in city bus.

kirk21 11y ago

Hope he uses his frustration (and brainpower + money) to do something that improves the world.

idlewords 11y ago

There's a whole class of legitimate bad feelings that it's socially impossible to complain about without coming off as an entitled jerk. I'm sure what notch is feeling is real, but complaining about it in public is just going to make matters worse.

jonesb6 11y ago
Let he who has not reached out to people for attention via social networking cast the first stone.. Most of us have done it, its very human to seek help from other people while having emotional distress. In modern times that often means social media (even if it isn't the most logical approach, emotional distress doesn't often follow logic)..
- doomspork 11y ago
  I'm sure he has less public channels to seek help on.

gcatalfamo 11y ago

We have already read this on multiple sources...I'd suggest letting him be instead of showcasing his despair. (even if billionaire despair)

pvnick 11y ago

That's what happens when you get everything you think you want - money, fame, things - they end up not bringing you happiness. It's one of the great paradoxes of the human condition. It can feel terrible, that everything you thought you wanted brought nothing but despair. I hope Notch finds his way. I can only feel empathy for the kind of person who uses his new-found wealth to construct a candy wall.

mcphage 11y ago
(a minor aside: the candy wall came with the house, he didn't build it)

mratzloff 11y ago

It seems like a sad life, and he has also lost out forever on meeting a woman he knows without a doubt isn't marrying him for his success. His mansion and parties seem like desperate attempts to fill the emotional void inside himself. But it's hollow, as he's now seen. The way to fill it is by dedicating himself to something that has no financial upside--doing good, in the vein of Clinton, Carter, and Gates. That will give him the kind of fulfillment that a candy wall never will. In the course of doing so, he may even meet someone similarly like minded. Less altruistically, he could also create games and release them pseudonymously through a shell company, so he knows any success is because it's a good game, and not because it's from the creator of Minecraft.

MichaelGG 11y ago
Is his face that famous? Especially if he lost a bit of weight? Seems like it would be very easy to setup a new identity that'll pass any checks done by potential spouses and he's unlikeky to be recognized by most people. If anyone says he looks like that Minecraft guy, give them a strange look and a "I wish" or a "hah, my nephew said the same thing". The strangest thing about the whole thing is that Mojang employees got rather little. If you were out with workmates and found a $2500 lottery ticket, it might be seen odd to say "here's 23 cents". Sure, the scale and absolute values make it different. Why not bring those folks along for a ride? If they could stand your code and they all got along well enough to make games together...
- weaksauce 11y ago
  out of curiosity, how much did they get? he seems to think that he "took care of them" based on his tweets.
  - erics32 11y ago
    About 250k USD after tax.
    - MichaelGG 11y ago

jaredmcateer 11y ago

Gabe Newell has a similar net worth to Notch, maybe as one self made gaming billionaire to another he could give him some tips on handling it.

mitwilsch 11y ago
Minecraft 3 confirmed?

a3n 11y ago

So build something.

jonesb6 11y ago

Notch has always struck me as a genuinely good character. Going back to the earliest days of Mojang when they were in that "holy shit guys we're making too much money" phase where their logistics just couldn't handle the revenue Minecraft was generating yet.. and then hearing him talk about the emotion when he saw his bank account pass the million mark. He just seemed different in the best kind of way. It's a shame that article was fairly unsubstantiated and basically just showed a few bare tweets Notch himself made a little while ago. Wherever Notch really is right now at a personal level I wish him nothing but the best, and if he is in a hole that he finds himself quickly out of it. Because I would be shocked if he hasn't already done some amazing philanthropic work, he's just seems like the type who enjoys making other people's lives better..

ja27 11y ago

The previous discussions about this in the past 2 days: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10139734 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10139734 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10144018 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10144018 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141538 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10141538

pan69 11y ago

He should talk to Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and the likes. He obviously hasn't adjusted to the person he has become. He doesn't seem to realize that the money he made from the Minecraft sale has changed him. He still thinks he's the same person he was before, but he's not. With the wealth he has got he can expand his abilities and capabilities. He's not a game dev guy any more, same as Bill Gates is not a software guy any more. In my opinion, the best thing he can do is to find a cause he cares deeply about and try to change the world for the better for the people who are deeply affected by it. Fuck $70 million dollar mansions and parties at Ibiza, this guy can change the world for the better, maybe even if it just a little. Stop feeling sorry for yourself Notch, get your shit together and make a difference while you can.

nostrademons 11y ago
It's not his responsibility to change the world. He just wants to be a regular guy; what's wrong with that?
- pan69 11y ago
  He's not a regular guy. He wants to be a regular guy? Get rid of the freaking money.
  - runevault 11y ago
    Even if he gets rid of the money he's still Notch. Once you create something that has such a wide impact it is hard to be "normal" without fleeing to a part of the world not touched by whatever.
    - WaltPurvis 11y ago
      I'd literally never heard of "Notch" until five minutes ago, and I'm a techie who obsessively follows tech news, so there are obviously innumerable people who've never heard of his "wide impact" and couldn't care less about it -- there's no barrier whatsoever to him living a "normal" life.

doomspork 11y ago

"Woe is me." — Notch. Are we being serious? Complaining about your wealth, high roller lifestyle, and fancy destinations doesn't garner much sympathy. Is it really a surprise that he is "alone"? Notch rose to popularly by playing the indie developer card and as soon as he had the chance, he did an about face. He may have seen to it that his team was taken care of but that doesn't change the fact that he took the money and ran. Good on him making billions more than I ever will but don't expect people to feel sorry because it's lonely when you flaunt your wealth.

verbin217 11y ago
I feel bad for him. I might not tell him for fear my pity might incent such a state. It's still sad to see him essentially ejected from his life and otherwise incompatible with the social strata in which he's landed.
- doomspork 11y ago
  He landed where he wanted to land. There are many rich people who live everyday lives amongst us, they don't make spectacles out of their purchases. When you act like a brat people respond to you accordingly, regardless of how much money you have.
  - verbin217 11y ago
    Maybe I'm not familiar with enough of the backstory. Where he has landed is fame. Not indie developer fame. Fucking fame. He very apparently wasn't ready for it and is making it worse by visibly floundering now. I feel fucking bad for him. Honestly, you too.
  - mcphage 11y ago
    > He landed where he wanted to land. I don't think he knew where he wanted to land. He did what he thought he was supposed to do, and he doesn't really know what to do next.
dvt 11y ago

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]