Millions of people know Tim Sweeney because of a virtual world he orchestrated from his parents' home in Maryland. He is the founder and CEO of Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, where players build, battle and explore landscapes that exist only on screens. But Sweeney has also spent substantial time form his time building something in the real world, which is very grounded. Quietly and largely out of the spotlight, he has acquired more than 50,000 acres of land in North Carolina to protect forests from development.
According to The News & Observer, Sweeney’s limited liability companies control at least 54,698 acres across 990 parcels in 15 North Carolina counties. His holdings are concentrated in places including Chatham County and the state’s western mountains.
The programmer who turned a hobby into Epic Games
Sweeney was born and raised in Potomac, Maryland, and taught himself programming through experimentation with computers, including an Apple II and a PC. At 20, he released ZZT, a game he had developed while programming as a hobby. He later attended the University of Maryland, where he studied mechanical engineering.
