Bobby Kotick will reportedly remain CEO if Xbox Activision deal fails
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly plans to remain in his leadership position if regulators block the Xbox-Activision deal. The news comes from Fox Business, who says sources “close to the situation” tell them Kotick is determined to remain where he is, despite frequent calls for him to depart the company.
The Verge reported that, under the current arrangement, Kotick would leave the company with a generous parting gift of over $400 million after the buyout and Microsoft’s leadership transition. Microsoft itself never confirmed who, if anyone, would take over from Kotick after the deal’s approval, nor did the Xbox maker say whether the Verge report was accurate.
Without any clear plan, it may be that Kotick plans to remain CEO of Activision Blizzard – whose board members repeatedly supported him, even as evidence of covering up sexual harassment complaints came to light – even if the deal is completed to Microsoft’s satisfaction.
Fox’s sources also said Activision Blizzard considers the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority the deal’s biggest threat. The CMA, unlike the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the European Union’s competition regulation commission, offers no recourse in court to push back against its recommendations, which included completely blocking the deal or forcing Microsoft to sell off parts of the Activision Blizzard business.
