Most professional coaches and athletes know that they become stronger with each defeat. Michael Jordan, regarded as one of the "greatest of all time" in basketball, even said in a Nike ad in 1997, "I fail again and again, over and over again," and that is precisely why he was successful.
Sports professionals expect to face defeats and also anticipate learning from them. However, this probably doesn't apply to Mike Tomlin; he will never experience that feeling. During his 19 years as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he never had a losing season. In fact, he even brought back a Super Bowl trophy. But perhaps the most surprising aspect of his coaching career is that this NFL coach recently revealed that he is also building a complex and exquisite city within Minecraft.
This 54-year-old coach is said to have earned a salary of $16 million in 2025. Last week, he launched his own YouTube channel to showcase this vast virtual city. The title of the first video was "Roofs, Penthouse Apartments, and Urban Life," and it has already received over 3.4 million views. In the video, Tomlin takes viewers on a tour of this virtual metropolis, which features high-rise apartments, underground bars, an aquarium, and a baseball stadium.
"I'm really fascinated by the top-floor apartments on the roof," Tomlin says in this video that has gone viral on social media.
However, reactions from the outside world vary: some are fascinated and admire his project, which has lasted for 12 years, while others question whether Tomlin – who parted ways with the Steelers in January of this year – has invested too much time in the virtual city. This debate highlights the delicate balance between work and leisure, especially for those in high-intensity professions: hobbies can become a distraction, but they can also serve as a necessary way to take a break from professional stress.
He holds the record for the longest consecutive winning season in NFL history. However, this seems to be insufficient to satisfy the critics, who believe that this is also the reason why the Steelers cannot beat the Patriots. “He’s building a world of his own, but he’s not playing for me,” said former Steelers running back LeVion Bell.
Tomlin is not the only well-known person who finds relaxation in unexpected ways. From investor Warren Buffett to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, many top leaders have developed hobbies that allow them to temporarily step away from their work – and these hobbies may even help them perform better when they return to their duties.
Hobbies like Minecraft can help people recover from work stress, experts say.
Charles Calderwood, director of the Work Stress and Recovery Laboratory at Virginia Tech, told Fortune, engaging in activities outside of hobbies and work can help people recover from work-related stress and is beneficial to overall health and well-being.
For those with unpredictable schedules and high work demands, this kind of recovery is particularly important, such as NFL coach.
"When you face more demands and greater pressure, you need recovery even more, but it becomes harder to achieve recovery," said Calderwood. "This can create a self-reinforcing cycle over time, making you increasingly exhausted, which may ultimately lead to burnout or a decline in work performance."
However, not every activity that seems efficient or beneficial is necessarily conducive to recovery. Many executives, such as those of Starbucks and Chipotle, praise morning work habits as key to success. But Calderwood reminds us that if these habits take away the time people need to regain their energy or even cause harm, they can come at a cost.
As for Tomlin himself, he said that his initial interest in this sandbox game was not necessarily to escape the highly competitive football season, but rather to build a connection with his sons who were still teenagers at the time.
"The reason I'm interested is because I'm fascinated by its ability to capture their attention for such a long time," Tomlin said earlier this month on the program "Late Night with Seth Meyers". As his sons moved on to high school and university, they spent less time playing games, but Tomlin himself started playing even more.
"I discovered its healing properties by chance," he added.
Tomlin declined the request for a comment from Fortune.
From Warren Buffett to David Solomon, many top business leaders do not shy away from admitting the need to step back from their businesses.
Tomlin also hinted that his hobbies are not necessarily special. This is true: some of the most successful people in the world also have ways of relaxing that have little to do with their daily work.
For example, The Wall Street Journal reported this week that billionaire investor Warren Buffett watches YouTube on television, often doing so in the evening. The content he watches has little to do with finance; it ranges from advertisements from the 1950s to the Uzbek version of "America's Got Talent."
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has also been a passionate video game player for a long time. This billionaire has played games such as "Path of Exile 2," "Diablo IV," and "Elden Ring," and sometimes even streams his gaming sessions. Just this week, he posted about "World of Warcraft" on X.
However, David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, has always been one of the most open about his hobby – DJ – and the benefits that hobby brings to both his personal and professional life. This banking industry leader earned a total compensation of $47 million in 2025 and has over 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
“When I do this, [DJing], I am 100% focused, and my thoughts are also 100% clear,” he said in an interview with Dan Schulman, the CEO of PayPal, in 2018. “And I indeed find that after finishing it, I have the space to think about and decide on other things the next day.”
In 2023, Solomon reduced his performances in public, citing the media attention surrounding his DJ career as a form of interference. He also discussed how hobbies can open doors to new connections and experiences beyond the workplace.
"One of the great benefits of passion, hobbies, and interests is that you will do certain things or meet certain people because of these commitments, which will enrich your life," he continued.
In the meantime, Tomlin has found his own community among the millions of players of Minecraft, and many have praised his dedication to this project.
"This is my Super Bowl," wrote a highly praised comment under his video.
