23-year-old Minecraft Let’s Player buys $4.5 million mansion

Minecraft player Jordan “CaptainSparklez” Maron has purchased a Los Angeles mansion worth $4.5 million using proceeds earned from his YouTube video production career, Variety reports.

Maron runs a popular YouTube channel that hosts narrated “Let’s Play” sessions of Mojang’s building-block sandbox world Minecraft. Maron also produces videos featuring gameplay from Trials Fusion, Happy Wheels, and other titles popular among YouTube gaming personalities.

Maron’s videos have been watched over 1.9 billion times to date, and his channel boasts nearly 9 million subscribers. Maron ranks among the top 100 most-subscribed channels on YouTube, trailing fellow Let’s Players PewDiePie and Sky Does Minecraft.

Maron has maintained a persistent online presence across multiple networks, earning him a devoted fan following. His fortune can be traced back to fan contributions, ad revenue, and advertising partnerships. Minecraft and its players serve as popular entertainment for younger gamers, especially, and personalities like Maron cultivate thriving fanbases by focusing on the community aspect of play.

Earlier this month, Maron purchased his new 4,100-square-foot, three-story home in Los Angeles. The prized location overlooks L.A.’s Sunset Strip, and features three bedrooms, five bathrooms, and an infinity swimming pool. The mansion also boasts multiple glass-railed terraces, a master suite with a fitted walk-in closet, and a family room with a sunken wet bar.

Minecraft has proven lucrative for YouTube gaming personalities and its creators. Earlier this year, Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson purchased a $70 million home in Beverly Hills, reportedly outbidding music industry stars Jay-Z and Beyonce for the location. Variety notes that Persson’s mansion in Trousdale Estates is within close proximity to Maron’s recently purchased home.

Persson sold Minecraft and its development studio, Mojang, to Microsoft last year for a reported $2.5 billion. Microsoft has since launched a Windows 10 version of Minecraft, and plans to introduce Oculus Rift support in a forthcoming update.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1MxnKFj
Danny Cowan