This is the multi-millionaire “King of the Nerds” behind EA Sports: Meet the legend who created ‘Madden NFL’

What does the NFL coach and announcer have to do with a super rich video game designer? The new documentary on Amazon ‘It’s in the Game: Madden NFL’ brings the history of one of the most successful video games to tech and NFL fans alike. It tells the story of how Trip Hawkins got John Madden to partner with him and his team to make one of the biggest video game franchises in history. Like all startups, the beginning was rough and full of challenges.

What is Trip Hawkins famous for?

The Economist called him the “King of the Nerds,” highlighting his leadership at Electronic Arts, which is today worth $40 billion. He has won awards for his business achievements such as Entrepreneur of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame awards. He has been inducted into the game industry Hall of Fame.

All of these prizes and awards are for his years as a driving force behind the creation of the ‘Madden NFL’ and his partnership with John Madden. Their work together created one of the most successful video games in the history of the industry. Allowing Madden to give his input and motivate his team of designers to come up with an awesome football video game was genius and made them both millionaires.

Trip Hawkins’ net worth

It’s hard to say exactly what the man behind ‘Madden NFL’ is worth now, but a lot has been written about what he earned and lost. At one point the Silicon Valley tycoon was supposedly worth $100 million, but ended up losing it all. After leaving EA Sports he sold company stock, nearly $60 million between 1996 and 1998. He was using the money for new business ventures, but forgot to pay taxes.

Despite his huge debt to the IRS, he continued spending money on his lavish lifestyle: a private jet, new cars, houses, etc., which would force him to declare bankruptcy. He eventually paid off $10 million of his debt to the IRS, but still had $26 million left to pay. Tax experts, economists and off shore accounts just made matters worse. He eventually got out of paying the $26 million and the last 10 years or so news of his financial woes has disappeared.

What’s Hawkins up to nowadays?

The Amazon documentary about ‘Madden NFL’ has brought the entrepreneur back into the spotlight. He is currently working as a motivational speaker. He worked as a professor of entrepreneurship and leadership at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 2016 to 2019. According to his LinkedIn profile, he’s currently employed as the Chief Strategy Officer of Games for a Living (GFAL) and is an advisor and consultant for several CEOs and tech companies.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.