Elizabeth Magie

Elizabeth Magie created the Landlord's Game, the precursor to Monopoly, to critique economic inequality.

Elizabeth Magie (1866–1948) was a progressive game designer whose 1904 invention, The Landlord's Game, laid the foundation for modern board games like Monopoly. Designed to teach players about wealth disparity and Henry George's single-tax theory, her game offered two sets of rules: one promoting cooperation and another highlighting capitalist exploitation.

Magie's work was a radical critique of Gilded Age economics. She patented her game in 1904 (U.S. Patent 748,626) and self-published it in 1906. Despite its educational intent, Charles Darrow later plagiarized the concept, selling it to Parker Brothers as Monopoly in 1935. Magie received only $500 for her patent, a fraction of the profits.

A staunch feminist and Georgist, Magie also wrote poetry and engineered office supplies. Her story, recently explored in NPR features, underscores how her visionary ideas were overshadowed by corporate greed—yet her legacy persists in game history and economic education.