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Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Seattle boy's million-dollar idea steers his Lamborghini dream
Seattle's Alex Butler, at age 9, is show with his parents, Leslie Pierson and Mark Butler. Photo by HANDOUT / Leslie Pierson A Seattle teen played his cards right at a young age — and now he's a millionaire. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Alex Butler, now 15, and his parents, Leslie Pierson and Mark Butler, sold his original card game Taco vs. Burrito, to Wisconsin-based PlayMonster last month, the Seattle Times reported, per the U.K. Daily Mail . Butler was just seven years old when he invented the game and sold it. 'It was never something that I've been attached to or anything,' the teenager said, per the Daily Mail. 'It's not super important to me. I just kind of wanted to get the most money out of it.' In the game, players compete to make the most valuable meal. It's not clear how much the game sold for, but the teen is working with his parents to invest the money. He plans to have some fun with the fortune, too. Butler said he would like to buy 'a Lambo' as he moves away from the gaming industry that has been a big part of his and his parents' lives for the past eight years. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Their idea for the game came 'randomly,' Alex said, noting that he didn't even like tacos or burritos at the time. However, he spent time playing card games such as Exploding Kittens with his family, which sparked his desire to create one of his own. Initially, his mom, who calls herself a 'serial entrepreneur' and has been involved in various projects including GoodHangUp — which she promoted on Shark Tank in 2016 — was simply trying to appease her young son. Alex regularly took his parents to the local coffee shop where he would test out a prototype for his game. On the way home, he would often plot new twists or ideas to add to the game, Leslie said, and he eventually started playing with his friends. Recommended video This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It was at that point when the mom started an online fundraiser to help cover costs of production. They raised more than $1,000 in one day. 'He lost it, mind blown,' the mom said. The family ultimately raised $25,000, helped by some promotion at Seattle Comic Con. As demand for the strategy game grew, the parents decided to create their own business, Hot Taco Inc., with Alex owning the majority share. They joined forces with a manufacturer that the parents said 'treated Alex like an adult' and put $25,000 to $30,000 worth of the product on Amazon. By the end of the year, they made just under $1.1 million. Alex has since sold 1.5 million copies of his card game. It was once ranked Amazon's No. 1 bestselling game and it now has two expansion packs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Ultimately, the family decided to sell to PlayMonster, which also owns games such as Farkle and 5 Second Rule. Jonathan Berkowitz, CEO of PlayMonster, also told the Seattle Times he was interested in the game because the 'characters are amazing' and it provides fun competition for all ages. 'It's always fun when kids can beat their parents in a game, but the parents can still truly enjoy playing,' he said, sharing how shocked he was to learn that the popular card game was created by a seven-year-old. Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Sports Canada
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
National Presto: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — National Presto Industries Inc. (NPK) on Friday reported profit of $5.2 million in its second quarter. On a per-share basis, the Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based company said it had profit of 72 cents. The diversified production company that makes everything from household appliances to munitions posted revenue of $120.4 million in the period. _____
International Business Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
Who is Alex Butler? Seattle Teenager Becomes Millionaire After Selling Card Game He Invented at 7
Alex Butler, 15, became a millionaire by selling a card game he invented when he was seven years old. The Seattle teenager reportedly sold his invention to a major toy company last month. Wisconsin-based company PlayMonster bought the game from the teen boy in a cash deal. It is unclear how much Alex earned through selling his game, Taco vs Burrito, which allows players to compete to create the most valuable meal. He is apparently working with his parents, Leslie Pierson and Mark Butler, to invest the money. The teenager said he would like to buy a Lamborghini for his family, who helped him with the invention. "It was never something that I've been attached to or anything. It's not super important to me. I just kind of wanted to get the most money out of it", the Seattle Times quoted Alex. The Beginning Alex randomly decided to create a game after spending time playing card games, like Exploding Kittens, with his family. When the teenager decided to invent a card game, he did not like tacos or burritos, the teenager recalled. Initially, his mother helped him with the project. When the boy approached her with the idea, she decided to play along, thinking that her son would eventually lose interest. To her surprise, Butler never gave up on his project. Instead, he took his parents to the local coffee shops to test out the early prototypes for his game. His mother, who has been part of several projects, including GoodHangUps, which she promoted on Shark Tank in 2016, said her son would come up with a new twist or idea to add to his game on their way back home. Gradually, Alex started playing the card game with other people, including his friends. When Leslie Pierson, who calls herself a serial entrepreneur, saw that her son was taking his project seriously, she began an online fundraiser to cover the cost of production. After a day of opening the fundraiser, Pierson asked her son to guess the amount they raised in a day. Butler suspected nearly $200, but it was over $1,000. "He lost it, mind blown", Pierson said. Alex Butler Facebook The Expansion Alex and his parents decided to take the game to the next level after raising $25,000 from the fundraiser and through some promotions at a Comic Con in Seattle. His parents created a company called Hot Taco Inc. to run the business smoothly, and the teenager owned most of its shares until PlayMonster bought the card game. His parents then chose a manufacturer that, according to his mother, treated her son like an adult. They put products worth $25,000 to $30,000 on Amazon. When the first batch sold out like hot cakes, they kept refilling the shells and made nearly $1.1 million by the end of the year. The Taco vs. Burrito card game once became a bestseller on Amazon, and the teenager sold over 1.5 million copies of it. Taco vs Burrito card game. Facebook Eventually, his mother realized that it was not easy for her small team to handle this business. So, Alex's parents began their search for a company that would take the game to the next level. Though they received several offers for buyouts, his parents chose PlayMonster, which owns games, such as 5 Second Rule and Farkle. Pierson said the company's vision for her son's game helped her make the final decision, and her son agreed to a complete buyout. Meanwhile, the CEO of PlayMonster, Jonathan Berkowitz, said the characters of this game attracted him. People of all age groups can play it. "It's always fun when kids can beat their parents in a game, but the parents can still truly enjoy playing", he said. In Taco vs Burrito, the player can create the most expensive meal, with wild cards, modifiers, and ingredients. There are a few cards, such as tummy ache, that subtract the player's points. At the end of the game, the player with the most points becomes the winner.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Created a card game at 7, became a millionaire at 15, this boy is now building his own gaming empire
At just 7 years old, most kids are busy playing video games, but for one boy, playtime turned into a startup idea that would change his life. Meet Alex Butler , a teenage prodigy from Seattle who designed a simple card game , Taco vs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Burrito, in his elementary school classroom, a project that exploded into a viral sensation. With help from his entrepreneurial mother Leslie Pierson, Alex turned a small Kickstarter campaign into a booming business. By the time he turned 15, the game had sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide and generated more than $1 million in revenue. Now, instead of slowing down, Alex is scaling up. With a deal struck with toy giant PlayMonster and plans to move into digital experiences, he is building what could become the next big name in the gaming world. How it all started at 7: A school project turned global hit Alex's journey began with an idea during family game nights and eventually as a fun side project. He sketched out a quirky, strategy-based card game that pitted tacos against burritos, and shared it with friends and teachers. His parents saw potential and helped him crowdfund $25,000 to get the first print run made. The family formed a company, Hot Taco Inc., and launched the game on Amazon. To their surprise, it quickly sold out and soared to the top of Amazon's bestseller lists. It eventually ranked as the No. 1 bestselling game in its category, spawning two expansions and a loyal fanbase. Millionaire before high school graduation By age 15, Alex Butler had already crossed the million-dollar mark. The game's popularity grew through independent retailers, viral YouTube reviews, and its success on Amazon. The Butler family ran operations themselves, from manufacturing and logistics to marketing. Eventually, Alex decided to sell the rights to Taco vs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Burrito to Wisconsin-based PlayMonster in a cash deal, although the terms were undisclosed. Despite the game's financial success, Alex admitted he wasn't emotionally attached to it and simply wanted to get the most value from the deal. A gaming empire in the making Although he has moved on from Taco vs. Burrito, Alex isn't done with the world of games. He is now exploring other creative paths, including music production, sports, and video games. While plans for a full gaming empire or digital platform haven't been formally announced, his early business acumen and experience managing a top-selling game have laid the foundation for whatever venture he chooses next. Alex's story is already influencing a new generation of kid entrepreneurs. Not just about money: Inspiring the next generation With support from his family, Alex is using his platform to inspire others. His success shows that kids don't need to wait until adulthood to start creating, building, and succeeding. While he hasn't launched formal workshops yet, he and his mother have voiced strong support for creativity, entrepreneurship, and screen-free games. The values behind Taco vs. Burrito continue to resonate with families looking for more meaningful ways to connect offline. What's next for Alex? Whether he is eyeing a Lamborghini or building toward a new digital venture, Alex Butler is far more than just a teenage millionaire. He is part of a broader wave of American teens leveraging the internet to build businesses early. His journey from kitchen table sketches to a global bestseller is proof that curiosity and support, not age, are the keys to innovation. As he continues to grow, all eyes are on where this young creator's imagination will lead him next.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
7-year-old boy created a simple card game — now it's turned him into a teen millionaire: ‘Wanted to get the most money out of it'
Boys will be…millionaires. Most adolescent boys are playing video games or with a ball outside — yet this Seattle teen has more money in his pocket than most adults twice his age have. Alex Butler invented a wildly successful card game called Taco vs. Burrito when he was only 7-years-old — which has turned him into a 15-year-old millionaire, according to the Seattle Times. 3 Little did this young boy know that he would go on to become a millionaire before he even graduated high school. Taco Vs Burrito The young entrepreneur conceptualized the game 'randomly' after spending much of his childhood playing card games with his family. Having an imagination and creating new games to play didn't make Butler's parents, Leslie Pierson and Mark Butler, bat an eyelash since he was always creating and experimenting with fun projects. However, after seeing how serious their son was about creating a card game that could potentially wind up on store shelves one day — they started a GoFundMe-type site to help pay for the pricey cost of production. 3 This card game is now a bestseller on Amazon. Taco Vs Burrito The family managed to raise $25,000 — and from there they created their own business, Hot Taco Inc., chose a manufacturer and eventually put the game on Amazon to sell for $20 a piece. What happened next was a dream come true for any entrepreneur — the response to the game was beyond anything young Butler could've imagined. By 2018, the family made almost $1.1 million, as explained by the outlet and it's now Amazon's No. 1 bestselling game. At a certain point, the high schooler was ready to part ways with his original concept. Just last month, he sold Taco vs. Burrito in a cash deal to Wisconsin-based PlayMonster. The family didn't disclose how much the game sold for — but one could only imagine it had a lot of 0s at the end of it. 3 The teen wants to treat himself to a Lambo with his hard-earned money. Christopher Sadowski 'It was never something that I've been attached to or anything,' the teen told the Seattle Times. 'It's not super important to me. I just kind of wanted to get the most money out of it.' When asked what he wants to do with the money — the family is still deciding — the teen has his eyes on one thing and one thing only: 'a Lambo.' Butler isn't the only teen cashing in — reportedly, 2 in 5 American teens are learning how to earn money online. 'In the past, you had to find somewhere to sell a product, set up a payment platform, network and build up a community of potential customers before you could even think about launching your own business,' said Cameron Zoub, co-founder and chief growth officer at Whop in Brooklyn, an online business platform. 'Now, all you need is a phone and an internet connection.'
