Gabe Newell Confirms He Practiced Mongolian Throat Singing at Valve, Admits It Was "Really Annoying"

Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve, has confirmed a long-standing office legend: he spent several months practicing Mongolian throat singing in the company's halls, and he admits it was disruptive.

The revelation came when a fan emailed Newell directly asking whether the story was true. Counter-Strike co-creator Minh Le had recently mentioned the phase in an interview, describing how Newell would practice throat singing throughout the office, forcing colleagues to close their doors to concentrate on work. Le recalled the period lasted around five months.

In his reply, Newell corroborated the account. "I had chatted with Paul Pena about it after I tried learning on my own. I am entirely self taught and it shows," he wrote, referencing the self-taught throat singer. Newell explained that he worked on different Tuvan throat singing styles, including sygyt and kargyraa, two of the more physically demanding forms that require months of regular practice to master.

"I got to the point where I was really… annoying," Newell said of his practice sessions. Despite the disruption to his workplace, he revealed the hobby resurfaces periodically. "Every once in a while, I'll pick it back up," though conditioning his throat for the advanced styles takes around two weeks.

Throat singing is physiologically demanding, requiring specific vocal control and breath techniques. Both kargyraa and sygyt are among the most challenging forms within the discipline.

Newell's eccentric interests have become part of tech industry lore over the years. Beyond throat singing, he has invested heavily in yacht ownership tied to his scuba diving hobby and has accumulated a personal collection of knives, blades, and swords. He has also taken up smithing blades himself, continuing to expand his hands-on pursuits outside of running Valve.