15-Year-Old Creator Sells Taco vs. Burrito to PlayMonster for Major Exit

A 15-year-old entrepreneur has secured a major exit after selling the rights to a card game he invented at age seven to PlayMonster, a well-known toy company behind brands such as Spirograph and Farkle [1]. The game, titled Taco vs. Burrito, has sold 1.5 million units since its launch in 2018 and has even seen the release of two expansion packs. The sale amount has not been disclosed, but the game retails for $20 on Amazon.

Alex Butler, the game’s creator, was just seven years old when the game first gained traction. With the help of his parents, he brought the product to market through Amazon, a platform where it quickly became a hit and generated around $1.1 million in sales by the end of 2018. The idea for Taco vs. Burrito came after Alex played similar card games like Exploding Kittens, and his mother, an entrepreneur, supported his creative process by encouraging testing and development. The family even visited local coffee shops to gather feedback and refine the game’s rules [1].

To cover initial production costs, Alex’s mother launched an online fundraiser, raising $25,000. She and her husband then formed a holding company with Alex as the majority owner, arranged manufacturing, and launched the game on Amazon. Despite the product’s commercial success, Butler has remained remarkably detached. “It was never something that I’ve been attached to or anything,” he told The Seattle Times. “It’s not super important to me. I just kind of wanted to get the most money out of it” [1].

While there had been previous buyout offers, the family felt none of them were right until they began discussions with PlayMonster. The toy company has confirmed it will continue developing the game, including the release of a collector’s tin version later this year. However, Alex has no plans to create another game. His interests have shifted to music production, sports, and video games [1].

Source: [1] [Taco vs. Burrito Sold to PlayMonster—Alex Butler](https://fortune.com/2025/08/06/taco-vs-burrito-sold-playmonster-alex-butler/)