Fortnite – The popular online video game’s creator, Tim Sweeney is not only making waves in the interactive digital world, but is also gaining admiration from non-gamers alike.
Sweeney is most popularly known as the founder of Epic Games, an American video game and software development based in North Carolina, which was established in 1991. Epic Games is known for video games such as Unreal, Gears of War and Infinity Blades, and the extremely popular Fortnite. Aside from creating the “most successful video game engine” awarded by Guinness World Records; he is also a billionaire philanthropist that has engaged in protecting bio-diverse land in the United States.
At present, Sweeney has spent millions on purchasing underdeveloped land to protect and preserve in his home state, North Carolina, which makes him the biggest private land owner in the state. One of the video game moguls’s recent purchases was the 193-acre parcel in Alamance Country which amounted to $1.973 million bought from the Sizemore Brothers LLC. He has also donated huge sums of money for conservation projects such as the 7,000 acres of The Box Creek Wilderness in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sweeney’s representative, Joe Kelleher has stated that all the land owned by Sweeney will remain permanently protected; including all the endangered plant and animal species that live in it.
The protection of our remaining forests and its endangered animals have become an urgent priority in the recent years. The Mind Unleashed has previously reported on a study made by North Caroline State University professor Nick Haddad; and his findings of only 2 intact forests left on earth. Human habitation of forested land leads to 13-75% decrease of flora and fauna diversity; which can even break the food chain. As Science continues to progress on academic research, billionaire philanthropists, such as Sweeney have started to take action. Jack Ma, China’s wealthiest man behind online retail website Alibaba has also purchased a 28,000-acre property in the Adirondack Mountains, Upstate New York. Upon purchase, his first action was to stop all logging operations.
