How Do Jay-Z and Beyoncé Spend Leisure Time? Playing UNO—and They Aren’t the Only A-Listers Shuffling the Deck

Rachel Cormack
·2 min read
4
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

It appears UNO is the number-one game among A-listers.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are the latest megawatt celebs to rep the iconic technicolor deck, joining the likes of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner. The Carters were spotted playing the classic card game in France over the weekend with record exec Steve Stoute.

More from Robb Report

“Fantastic lunch date with family,” Stoute shared via Instagram. “Great food, great art, and a competitive game of UNO.”

UNO was invented by Ohioan barber Merle Robbins back in 1971. The Robbins family invested $8,000 to make the first 5,000 decks, then sold the rights to the game in ‘72 for a reported $50,000. Fast forward to 1992, Mattel acquired UNO as part of a deal with International Games and turned it into a global juggernaut. Today, it is available in 80 countries and has sold millions of copies. In 2017, UNO was named the number-one card game in the U.S.

“What’s unique about UNO is it’s truly one of the only games that’s for everyone, it transcends languages, cultures, and ages,” Ray Adler, senior director of global games at Mattel, said in a statement at the time.

Apparently, UNO transcends income brackets, too. The $6 game has become a staple of the ultra-wealthy. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend took UNO to Vanity Fair’s Oscar screening and dinner earlier this year because “they wanted their table to be ‘most poppin’,” according to Page Six. Reality TV star-turned-billionaire beauty mogul Kylie Jenner had a custom pink deck created as part of her birthday celebrations in 2021 and her multimillionaire sister, Kim Kardashian, previously said she’s “always a winner” when it comes to UNO.

The game has become so popular, in fact, that the Reverse card is now a bona fide meme that signifies a comeback or a karmic change of events. UNO has also inserted itself further into the zeitgeist with special editions inspired by hit TV shows, films, artworks, and games. You can get a Ted Lasso or Zelda deck, for instance, or an arty set featuring a design by Takashi Murakami. Who knows, there could even be a Beyoncé deck in the future.

UNO

Price: $6

Buy Now

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.