Redditor Casually Meets the Inventor of Rubik’s Cube — And the Internet Cannot Believe He Is Still Alive

A Redditor entered a room in Budapest and discovered a part of her childhood sitting on a chair. “I had the opportunity to meet the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, Erno Rubik!!! What an inspiring person, and I am so lucky!” the user wrote on the subreddit r/Cubers, while sharing photos from her meeting with Rubik. She added that he is “still alive and well” at the age of 81.

The man in that post -- Ernő Rubik -- was born on July 13, 1944, in Budapest. After completing his architectural training, he became a teacher at the Budapest College of Applied Arts, where he started experimenting with a little cube during the mid-1970s.

He originally created the puzzle to help his students think about three‑dimensional movement and structure, and not as a toy. In Hungary, it first went by the name “Bűvös kocka,” or “Magic Cube,” before it took his surname and became known the world as the Rubik’s Cube in 1980.

Redditors Shocked to Learn Rubik Is a Real Person

Some of Reddit users seemed surprised at the revelation. "Pretty crazy that he named himself after his own invention," one user joked. Another individual, replied to the aforementioned comment, writing, "You ever think what a coincidence it is that Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig's disease?"

Others focused on a different issue. One user wrote, “I thought he'd be way older than that, feels like the Rubik's cube has been around forever.”

It has been slightly over 50 years since Rubik made the first prototype of his legendary invention. He designed the cube in 1974, which made its way to global shelves in 1980. With hundreds of millions of copies made, the cube itself has outsold most toys on the planet, which may help explain why it seems older than it actually is.

“TIL the rubik's cube was named after a real person and not just a cool word,” one user wrote.

For them, the name felt like "Kleenex" or "Lego," a clean label that floats free of the person behind it. Rubik's name has been associated with the toy for decades, as evidenced by museum writeups, speedcubing records, and toy industry histories. He is listed as a Hungarian inventor and professor in Budapest.

Part of what made the post feel special was how normal the meeting looked. No stage, no dramatic reveal -- just a Redditor standing next to a man whose idea spawned competitions, YouTube tutorials, and a whole subculture of speed‑solving methods.