Yes, may I help you?

Are you the person that wrote solitaire for Microsoft?

Yes, but that was a long time ago.

We gotta talk. Can we come in?

Great, thank you.

Alright, this is Wes.

I'm Wes Cherry, and I wrote Windows Solitaire.

I wrote the game in 1988 as an intern.

Internships at Microsoft were really an all-encompassing thing, but I squoze it in there in the few little hours of my free time.

For those who need a refresher, Solitaire was played on the computer using a mouse.

Cards are pulled from the deck in an effort to stack cards in order by suit.

And if you won, you got an awesome display of cards cascading towards you.

I came up with the idea to write Solitaire for Windows out of boredom, really.

There wasn't many games right at the time so we had to make them.

In the mid to late '90's was just when people started really getting computers in their home.

Microsoft officially said that Solitaire was there to teach people how to use the mouse.

But, in reality, it was just really just something to have fun with.

Before they ever released Windows, of course Bill Gates got a shot at it.

His biggest complaint was that Solitaire was too hard to win.

And once people figured out the mouse it became a favorite past time.

The number of hours wasted on Solitaire is really countless.

I can say that right after Solitaire was released in 1990, there was a world recession.

So many people were playing it in the workplace that Wes came up with what he called "the boss key."

Press the special key and a spreadsheet was come up, so it made it look like you were doing real work.

But, Microsoft made me take it out.

Considering this game has been around for decades, you must have made a ton of money.

I was not paid, not a single cent.

At one time, I said if I only got a penny per copy, I would be very rich.

So far, only 14 people have made good on that.

I'm still waiting for the rest of you.

Well, you heard the man.

Do you still work with computers?

I work with Apple now.

Apples, actually.

And I own a cidery.

Ah, Wes, there's something behind you.

Wes, run!