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Leslie Benzies

Aberdeen, Scotland, born 1971

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About MeAberdeen-born Leslie Benzies first discovered his skill for computer programming when he was 11 years old. Using his father’s Dragon 32 computer, he taught himself programming and wrote his first computer game. Fast-forward 15 years to find Leslie as the lead brain behind Grand Theft Auto or GTA. His fifth, and last, version of the game GTA V remains one of the best-selling video games of all time with over 100 million copies sold.

Leslie Benzies can claim much credit for taking gaming design to new heights. From his very first job, he displayed a phenomenal work ethic, pushing his designs to the limits in pursuit of his dream. His first project was producing a game called Space Station Silicon Valley. He recalls, “We’d go to work at 9am . . . and we’d work till about eight or nine at night. Then we’d go home and test it . . . The next day we’d go in and fix it.” But he says, “It was brilliant. My dream had been to make a video game that people would go out and buy.” As the lead developer on the Grand Theft Auto video game series, he catapulted his company to fame and was instrumental in spawning a multi-million-pound franchise.
Additional InfoImage Attribution: Austin Hargrave, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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