Most professional coaches and athletes know they only get better with each loss. The purported GOAT of basketball, Michael Jordan, even said so in a famous 1997 Nike commercial: “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life” and that’s why he’s so successful.
Sports professionals expect some losses, and expect to learn from them. Well, that’s too bad for Mike Tomlin, he’ll never know. During his 19 years at the helm of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he never had a losing season. In fact, he even brought home a Super Bowl trophy. But perhaps the most surprising part of that run, the NFL coach recently revealed, was that he was also building an elaborate city in Minecraft.
The 54-year-old, who reportedly earned a $16 million salary in 2025, launched his own YouTube channel last week, showing off the sprawling virtual city. His first episode, titled “ROOFTOPS, PENTHOUSES, AND URBAN LIVING,” has already racked up more than 3.4 million views. In it, Tomlin takes viewers through a virtual metropolis complete with high-rise apartments, a speakeasy, an aquarium, and a baseball stadium.
“I really got obsessed with rooftop penthouses,” Tomlin said in the video which spread across social media platforms.
Reactions, however, ranged from pure fascination and respect for his 12-year project to critics questioning whether Tomlin, who parted ways with the Steelers in January of this year, had devoted too much time to his virtual city. The debate highlighted the tricky balance between work and leisure, particularly for people in demanding careers: Hobbies can become distractions, but they can also provide a much-needed break from professional pressures.
He holds the NFL record for the longest unbroken winning-season streak. But that doesn’t seem enough for his critics, who argue that’s why the Steelers can’t beat the Patriots. “He’s building worlds, but he ain’t making plays for me,” said former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell.
Tomlin isn’t the only high-profile figure with an unexpected way to unwind. From investor Warren Buffett watching YouTube to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon DJing, many top leaders have adopted pastimes that let them step away from work—and may even help them perform better when they return.
Hobbies like Minecraft can help people recover from work stress, expert says
Charles Calderwood, director of the Work Stress and Recovery Lab at Virginia Tech University, told Fortune that engaging in hobbies and other activities outside of work can help people recover from job-related stress, benefiting their overall health and well-being.
That recovery can be particularly important for people in demanding jobs with unpredictable schedules, such as NFL coaches.
“As you face more demands and are more stressed out, you need recovery more, but you’re less able to get it,” Calderwood said. “It can create this self-perpetuating cycle over time, where you just become more and more drained, and maybe that leads to burnout or diminished job performance.”
Still, not every activity that appears productive or beneficial necessarily helps people recover. Many executives, such as the CEOs of Starbucks and Chipotle for example, tout early-morning work routines as a key to their success. But Calderwood cautioned that such habits can come at a cost if they cut into the time people need to recharge—or even cause injury.
For Tomlin’s part, he said he originally became interested in the sandbox game not necessarily as an escape from the competitive football season but because he wanted to connect with his then-teenage sons.
“I got interested because I just was mesmerized by what could occupy their attention for such large periods of time,” Tomlin said earlier this month on Late Night with Seth Meyers. As his sons moved on to high school and college, they spent less time playing, but Tomlin found himself spending more.
“I kind of stumbled into the therapeutic component of it,” he added.
Tomlin declined Fortune’s request for comment.
From Warren Buffett to David Solomon, many top business leaders aren’t afraid to admit they need to escape from business
Tomlin also suggested that his hobby isn’t necessarily unusual. And he has a point: Some of the world’s most successful people have their own ways of unwinding that have little to do with their day jobs.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, for example, spends his evenings watching YouTube on his television, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. His viewing has little to do with finance, ranging from 1950s commercials to Uzbekistan’s version of America’s Got Talent.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has long been an avid video game player. The billionaire has logged on to games such as Path of Exile 2, Diablo IV, and Elden Ring, sometimes livestreaming his sessions. Just this week, he posted about World of Warcraft on X.
But Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has been among the most vocal about his hobby—DJing—and the benefits it brings him both personally and professionally. The banking chief, whose total compensation reached $47 million in 2025, has built an audience of over 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
“When I’m doing this, [DJing], I am a 100% present, my mind is 100% clear,” he said in a 2018 interview with PayPal CEO Dan Schulman. “And I actually find that after doing it, the next day, I’ve got room to think about and make decisions about other things.”
Solomon stepped back from performing at public events in 2023, citing the media attention surrounding his DJ career became a distraction. He has also spoken about how hobbies can open the door to new connections and experiences beyond the workplace.
“One of the great things about passions and hobbies and interests is you wind up doing them or meeting people you know through those endeavors and that enriches your life,” he continued.
Tomlin, meanwhile, has already found a community of his own among millions of Minecraft fans, many of whom have praised his commitment to the project.
“This is my Super Bowl,” one top commenter wrote on his video.