Charles Darrow
Magie’s game became popular in the intellectual enclaves of the Northeast, but her patent didn’t. Many players took it upon themselves to create their own versions of the game, including friends of Charles Darrow. In the great tradition of capitalism, he played the game and then decided he’d invented it.
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Parker Brothers
Darrow tried to sell the game to Parker Brothers in the early ‘30s, but they actually turned him down at first, concluding that it contained “52 fundamental errors,” including the length of play, the overly complicated rules, and the lack of any kind of point. They were certain no one would want to play a game clearly developed by some kind of vengeance demon, so Darrow just distributed it himself until it became so successful that the company agreed to pay him millions in royalties. (Magie, once her patent was revealed, was paid $500.)