Activision Blizzard CEO could pocket a whopping three-digit million sum after the Microsoft deal

The controversial Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will probably have to leave next year at the latest after the publisher is taken over by Microsoft. At least that’s what inside sources have said, and his contract expires in 2023 anyway. A new report now says that a proud three-digit million sum awaits him beforehand.

Three-digit million sum for controversial CEO

It’s all about this: After a California civil rights agency sued CoD publisher Activision Blizzard in July 2021, more and more information about abuses such as toxic working conditions, discrimination, harassment and unequal opportunities came to light.

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CEO Bobby Kotick was also criticized. He was accused of covering up for perpetrators and threatening victims. Shareholders, employees and fans of the publisher called for his resignation, after which the CEO announced that he would only step down if he could not solve the problems quickly enough. No official announcement has been made about his future after the takeover, although there are indications that his position will end.

The CEO now expects a three-digit million sum: As bloomberg.com reports, the CEO is set to receive a staggering sum of $375 million (before taxes) once the deal closes this year.

Kotick is the executive with the most Activision shares: As Bloomberg further explains, Kotick, who has held the position since 2017, owns nearly four million shares of Activision – more than any other senior executive.

CEO Brian Kelly, who succeeds Kotick, owns “only” 1.7 million shares of the company. If the stock price was rocked by last year’s discrimination scandal, Microsoft’s bid almost made up for it, according to Bloomberg.

How much has the CEO earned so far?

Bloomberg calls a total of 155 million US dollars for 2020. Most of that came from stock awards.

Last year, Kotick’s salary and bonuses were cut by 50 percent, according to Bloomberg. However, the company announced the cuts ahead of the lawsuit, as the excessive sum it previously received drew criticism.

In October 2021, in response to the scandal and the stock’s loss, Kotick took the initiative and asked the board to reduce his compensation to the lowest legally compliant amount in California. This is about 62,500 US dollars. He waived bonuses and share subsidies.

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