Tyler Le/Insider
Will Shortz always knew he wanted to make puzzles. He made his first puzzle at age 9, sold his first puzzle professionally at 14, and became a regular contributor to the Dell Puzzle Magazine at 16.
Once in college at Indiana University, Shortz completed all the major requirements for a degree in economics. But in his junior year, he decided to pivot. "I remember joking about majoring in puzzles as a kid, never imagining that such a thing was possible until my mom discovered the individualized major program," Shortz said. So instead of settling for a degree that was adjacent to his goals, he created his own: enigmatology.