Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Could Get Massive Payout

gamerant.com:

Microsoft recently announced its plans to buy game publishing giantsActivision Blizzard for $69 Billion, easily the largest buyout price tag the games industry has ever seen. This follows a trend of massive gaming industry acquisitions happening recently from the two major console manufacturers Microsoft and Sony.

Activision Blizzard had come under fire in the months leading up to the buyout announcement, after a series of allegations came out over misconduct throughout the video game publisher. There have been many people calling for the CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, to resign due to these accusations, and it has been highly speculated that Microsoft will want to do some major reshuffling to the company after the acquisition.

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It has been revealed however, that if Bobby Kotick is removed as CEO by Microsoft without cause before his current contract expiration date of March 2023, he will receive a payout of $15 million. Referred to as a “golden parachute” in the business, it is not uncommon for CEOs of companies the size of Activision Blizzard to get massive payouts if they are forced to leave under the wake of controversy.

Kotick’s payout could also increase up to $22 million in stock if the company’s board members agree they’ve seen an improvement in the company work culture around the treatment of its female and non-binary employees. It’s also notable that regardless of if whether he is removed from the CEO position, Kotick owns 6.5 million shares in Activision Blizzard, worth around $619 million at Microsoft’s acquisition price.

It has also been revealed that Microsoft’s talks to acquire Activision Blizzard first began only a few