It Pays to Be a Nerd -- Gamer Beats Out Beyonce, Jay Z for Epic L.A. House

A 35-year-old Swedish video game programmer just got the prized house that Jay Z and Beyonce also wanted ... TMZ has learned.

Our real estate sources tell us ... Markus Persson plunked down $70 million cash for a 23,000 square foot palace in Bev Hills.

Markus can afford it ... he sold his company, Mojang -- which created the video game Minecraft -- to Microsoft for $2.5 BILLION.

As we reported, Beyonce and Jay Z visited the house multiple times and made an offer but Markus beat them out at 70.

The other winners ... realtors Branden Williams and Ben Bacal who get a big fat commission check.