Original designer of GTA prototype and founder of Rockstar North has an extremely pretty net worth
- Mike Dailly is a Scottish video game designer best known for designing the original GTA prototype
- Alongside David Jones, Mike founded DMA design – now known as Rockstar North
- Over the years, Mike has pocketed an eye-watering amount thanks to the success of the GTA franchise
Published on Dec 06, 2023 at 8:17 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Dec 07, 2023 at 1:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Adam Gray
His name might not ring any bells, but Mike Dailly is quite a bit deal.
The Scottish video game designer is best known for designing the original Grand Theft Auto prototype.
But who is the creator of the infamous game, and how much has the GTA franchise made him?
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Alongside David Jones, Mike Dailly is behind one of the most lucrative games of all time.
The pair started working together back in the early 80s when they founded DMA design – now known as Rockstar North.
The pair’s first big success came with the design, programming and publishing of the puzzle-strategy game Lemmings.
However, it wasn’t long until the pair turned their attention towards the creation of GTA.
The game, which was released for Windows in 1997, became a huge success.
So much so, DMA was bought for $5 million the same year.
Two years later, GTA 2 was released then followed Take-Two Interactive’s announcement that they’d bought DMA for $11 million.
David stayed on amidst waves of management changes following the acquisition, however, Mike didn’t.
So, how much has Mike pocketed from the GTA franchise?
Apparently, Mike Dailly has a net worth in the region of $4.95 million.
Certainly not to be sniffed at – but that being said, he’s come under attack from the company he helped found in recent years.
In 2022, he revealed that Rockstar North, formerly DMA Design, blocked the release of his footage.
They even issued a copyright strike to his old GTA videos, meaning he couldn’t release any of his prototypes.
Crazy really, when they bear no real correlation to the game in its current form.
“Developers should always be allowed to show their work, especially works that are 28 years old,” Dailly said.
“I’ve now removed all GTA dev stuff. Only direct examples of my own work are left – work that was never used in GTA, but ‘inspired’ parts of its evolution.”
Following the unveiling of the GTA VI trailer, and the new game coming in 2025 – is Mike Dailly set for another payday?
Once thing’s for certain, Elon Musk won’t be copping a copy, after revealing why he’s not a fan of GTA.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
