As Microsoft finally completes the deal, the fate of Activision Blizzard King (ABK) CEO Bobby Kotick has become the focus of attention. It has now been confirmed that Bobby Kotick will stay on until the end of 2023.

Related Reading:Wall Street Journal says Bobby Kotick will leave Activision Blizzard after acquisition closes

Bobby Kotick was engaged in the software business in his early days. The biggest feat in his career was to raise $500,000 to buy the nearly bankrupt Activision in 1990, lay off more than 90% of its employees, and conduct a comprehensive reorganization. Since then, Huiyan has acquired developers such as Infinity Ward and Treyarch, Guitar Hero RedOctane, and Tony Hawk Neversoft, laying the first step for the Activision empire.

In 2007, in order to expand the breadth of the game business, Bobby Kotick chose Blizzard and Sierra Entertainment, both owned by the French media giant Vivendi. I hope to gain a place in the MMO market through “World of Warcraft”.

At that time, the two parties joined forces and merged Vivendi Games and Activision through the acquisition of shares to form what became Activision Blizzard, AB.

However, the two giants joined forces but could not offset the operating failure of the parent company. In 2012, Vivendi had been intending to sell off its “Golden Chicken Mother” Activision Blizzard in order to pay off debts. In 2013, Activision Blizzard spent US$8.2 billion, equivalent to approximately NT$245.6 billion at the time, to repurchase the majority of its shares from Vivendi SA and regain its independent identity. Vivendi SA’s shareholding dropped from 61% to 12%.

From Activision and Activision Blizzard to becoming independent again from Vivendi, Bobby Kotick has always been in charge of the overall situation as CEO. However, when the sexual assault incident broke out at his Sledgehammer studio, such a person’s internal interference and cold treatment attracted huge criticism from both inside and outside the company.

Coupled with the “fat cat CEO” behavior accused by shareholders, compared with the cheap salary of grassroots employees, even Bobby Kotick may continue to live his life as CEO after Microsoft’s acquisition. The outside world has long been not optimistic that he will continue to be re-elected.

Related Reading:Hundreds of employees protest and demand Activision Blizzard CEO resigns
The acquisition is controversial! New York City sues Activision Blizzard, this time targeting CEO Bobby Kotick

When Microsoft finally broke through the siege, successfully completed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and officially announced the results, Bobby Kotick wrote an open letter on the same day detailing the results of Activision Blizzard over the years, and announced that it will complete the transition of corporate operations by the end of 2023. Resign (web link）。

Related Reading:Microsoft officially issued an announcement: Welcome Activision Blizzard and King to join the Xbox family, ending the Thousand Days Acquisition War

2023-10-14 07:43:52
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