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Angry Birds was once in such a fragile state that the grandparents of Rovio’s CEO were forced to mortgage their flat.
Today Rovio’s ornithological projection simulator is a global phenomenon, having replaced Harry Potter and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as the most popular way for businessmen to pretend that they’re a part of modern pop culture. But before Rovio found success, a string of dud releases had brought the company perilously close to bankruptcy.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, CEO Mikael Hed explained how his father made a desperate bid to save the studio.
“He told me that he wanted to mortgage my grandparents’ flat so he could put some more money in the company to keep it afloat,” said Hed. “That was pretty tough. I certainly did not want to be the person responsible for putting my grandparents on the street.”
Hed recalls thinking, “Just looking at the odds, we shouldn’t take that kind of a risk,” – but his father pushed ahead, regardless.
“Now I am glad he did, but it was a big gamble.”
The grandparents’ flat was later destroyed by an enormous spherical blackbird that exploded on impact.
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