Mary Pilon, a journalist and author specializing in sports and business, dives into the intriguing origins of Monopoly. She reveals how the game, often seen as a celebration of wealth, actually emerged from a critique of capitalism crafted by Lizzie McGee. Pilon contrasts the narrative of the game's supposed inventor, Charles Darrow, with McGee's overlooked contributions. The discussion highlights the socio-economic tensions of American capitalism, tracing Monopoly's transformation from a grassroots creation to a cultural icon.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Darrow's Monopoly Story
The popular origin story of Monopoly claims Charles Darrow invented it while unemployed.
He supposedly became a millionaire after selling it to Parker Brothers.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Lizzie McGee's Inspiration
Lizzie McGee learned about the pitfalls of wealth through her father and Henry George's book Progress and Poverty.
Inspired, she became an inventor and joined the Women's Single Tax Club.
insights INSIGHT
Single Tax Theory
Henry George's single tax theory proposed taxing only land to shift the burden to wealthy landlords and address inequality.
This resonated with many Americans during a time of increasing wealth disparity.
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In 'Progress and Poverty', Henry George examines the paradox of why poverty and economic depressions occur alongside technological and economic progress. He argues that the private ownership of land, which increases in value without the owner's effort, is a primary cause of poverty and economic cycles. George proposes a single tax on land values as a remedy, suggesting it would reduce other taxes, encourage productive use of land, and distribute wealth more equitably. The book was highly influential, contributing to the Progressive Era and worldwide social reform movements[1][2][5].
The monopolists
Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game
Mary Pilon
The Monopolists delves into the scandalous history behind Monopoly, debunking the myth that the game was created by Charles Darrow during the Great Depression. Instead, it reveals that the game's true origins trace back to Lizzie Magie, a feminist who invented 'The Landlord's Game' in the early 20th century. The book follows Ralph Anspach's decade-long legal battle over his Anti-Monopoly game and his efforts to expose the truth about Monopoly's creation. It also explores the economic and political contexts of the game's development, including its ties to the Progressive Era and the cutthroat nature of American business.
Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games in history.
The game's staying power may in part be because of strong American lore — the idea that anyone, with just a little bit of cash, can rise from rags to riches. Mary Pilon, author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game. But there's another origin story – a very different one that promotes a very different image of capitalism. (And with two sets of starkly different rules.) That story shows how a critique of capitalism grew from a seed of an idea in a rebellious young woman's mind into a game legendary for its celebration of wealth at all costs.
This episode was made in collaboration with NPR's Throughline. For more about the origin story of Monopoly, listen to their original episode Do Not Pass Go.
This episode was produced by Emma Peaslee, mastered by Natasha Branch, and edited by Jess Jiang.
The Throughline episode was produced by Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, Lawrence Wu, Laine Kaplan-Levenson, Julie Caine, Victor Yvellez, Anya Steinberg, Yolanda Sangweni, Casey Miner, Cristina Kim, Devin Katayama, and Amiri Tulloch. It was fact-checked by Kevin Volkl and mixed by Josh Newell.
Planet Money 
