Robert A. Kotick, also known as Bobby Kotick, is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s largest gaming companies. He also serves on The Coca-Cola Company board of directors. He performs both roles in conjunction with his non-profit involvements.
Kotick is a Long Island, New York, native who divorced his wife in 2012. A single father of three, he now resides in California with his family. In 2011, he had a cameo role in the biographical sports drama “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt.
Kotick’s career began in 1983, when he was a University of Michigan student. With financial backing from business mogul Steve Wynn, he created software for the Apple II computer. On the advice of Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs, Kotick left college to pursue entrepreneurial interests.
In 1987, Kotick attempted to acquire Commodore International, a manufacturer of home computers and electronics. He planned to convert the Amiga 500 into a 16-bit video game system. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in buying the company. He eventually purchased a controlling interest in Leisure Concepts, a licensing agent for Nintendo, and renamed the company 4Kids Entertainment.
With his business partner, Brian Kelly, Kotick bought a 25 percent stake in Activision in 1990. He became the company’s CEO in 1991. He also founded International Consumer Technologies, which became an Activision subsidiary in 1995. For five years, starting in 2003, Kotick served as a Yahoo! board member. He currently serves as a board member for the Center for Early Education, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Tony Hawk Foundation.
In 2008, Kotick engineered a merger between Activision and Vivendi Games, which included the Blizzard brand. In 2013, Activision Blizzard purchased several million shares of Vivendi stock to become an independent company. In 2009, “Forbes” magazine reported Kotick’s salary as $3.2 million including benefits, options and incentives. By 2013, he became the second highest-paid CEO in America, earning nearly $65 million in stock.
Kotick uses his company’s position to push for changes that would benefit the gaming community. In 2009, he threatened to stop creating PlayStation 3 games if Sony did not reduce the price of their home video game console. He urged the United Kingdom (UK) to reward Activision with tax incentives for investing in the country’s game developers. He also launched a competition with $500,000 in prize money for developers working with new platforms.
Under Kotick’s direction, Activision Blizzard launched the Call of Duty Endowment in 2009. This non-profit organization helps American soldiers transition to civilian life after their military service. Its mission is to create thousands of jobs for veterans returning from Afghanistan and the Middle East. The advisory board is composed of veterans from various branches of service.
According to a writer for the gaming blog “Kotaku,” Kotick is “the most hated man in video games.” He is somewhat controversial in the gaming community. This is due, in part, to a business strategy that focuses on franchises to the exclusion of games that cannot guarantee sequels. He has also received criticism for not playing his games, although he confessed to a gaming passion in the “Kotaku” report.
Kotick is a Long Island, New York, native who divorced his wife in 2012. A single father of three, he now resides in California with his family. In 2011, he had a cameo role in the biographical sports drama “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt.
Kotick’s career began in 1983, when he was a University of Michigan student. With financial backing from business mogul Steve Wynn, he created software for the Apple II computer. On the advice of Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs, Kotick left college to pursue entrepreneurial interests.
In 1987, Kotick attempted to acquire Commodore International, a manufacturer of home computers and electronics. He planned to convert the Amiga 500 into a 16-bit video game system. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in buying the company. He eventually purchased a controlling interest in Leisure Concepts, a licensing agent for Nintendo, and renamed the company 4Kids Entertainment.
With his business partner, Brian Kelly, Kotick bought a 25 percent stake in Activision in 1990. He became the company’s CEO in 1991. He also founded International Consumer Technologies, which became an Activision subsidiary in 1995. For five years, starting in 2003, Kotick served as a Yahoo! board member. He currently serves as a board member for the Center for Early Education, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Tony Hawk Foundation.
In 2008, Kotick engineered a merger between Activision and Vivendi Games, which included the Blizzard brand. In 2013, Activision Blizzard purchased several million shares of Vivendi stock to become an independent company. In 2009, “Forbes” magazine reported Kotick’s salary as $3.2 million including benefits, options and incentives. By 2013, he became the second highest-paid CEO in America, earning nearly $65 million in stock.
Kotick uses his company’s position to push for changes that would benefit the gaming community. In 2009, he threatened to stop creating PlayStation 3 games if Sony did not reduce the price of their home video game console. He urged the United Kingdom (UK) to reward Activision with tax incentives for investing in the country’s game developers. He also launched a competition with $500,000 in prize money for developers working with new platforms.
Under Kotick’s direction, Activision Blizzard launched the Call of Duty Endowment in 2009. This non-profit organization helps American soldiers transition to civilian life after their military service. Its mission is to create thousands of jobs for veterans returning from Afghanistan and the Middle East. The advisory board is composed of veterans from various branches of service.
According to a writer for the gaming blog “Kotaku,” Kotick is “the most hated man in video games.” He is somewhat controversial in the gaming community. This is due, in part, to a business strategy that focuses on franchises to the exclusion of games that cannot guarantee sequels. He has also received criticism for not playing his games, although he confessed to a gaming passion in the “Kotaku” report.
