A British software engineer has become a millionaire after a word game he invented only three months ago was bought for an undisclosed seven-figure sum.
Josh Wardle created Wordle - a play on his surname - during the pandemic to amuse his girlfriend, Palak Shah.
The New York Times purchased the daily online puzzle that has left millions around the world hooked.
Josh released the game in October and now it boasts millions of players.
Following the sale to the New York Times, he said the game’s success had been “a little overwhelming”, and he was “incredibly pleased” to announce the deal.
Josh, who graduated from university in London in 2006 before moving to the States, came up with the idea when he and his partner played a lot of crosswords and spelling bees.
Wordle challenges players to find a five-letter word in six guesses.
If any of the letters are in that day’s word but in the wrong place, they turn gold. If they are in the word in the right place, they turn green. If they are not in the word, they turn grey.
The game is not dissimilar to the ITV quiz show Lingo.
A new puzzle is published every day - currently for free - and players can post how quickly they solved the colourful grid on social media.
The daily answer is withheld from others.
The New York Times said it bought the hit word game from its creator for a price “in the low seven figures”.
“The Times remains focused on becoming the essential subscription for every English-speaking person seeking to understand and engage with the world. New York Times Games are a key part of that strategy,” a statement said.
After graduating in London, Josh studied Digital Arts at the University of Oregon.
His education was followed by two years as an artist for Reddit, before becoming a senior product manager and later an adviser for the company.
He spent nearly two years as a software engineer for Pinterest before returning to Reddit in the same role in January 2020.
“I think people kind of appreciate that there’s this thing online that’s just fun,” he said.
“It’s not trying to do anything shady with your data or your eyeballs.”
