Businessman and philanthropist Bobby Kotick is mostly known for his three decades as CEO of Activision or, later on, Activision Blizzard. After orchestrating a deal with Microsoft in 2023, he stepped down from his role at Activision Blizzard as one of the most recognizable executives in the video game industry.
Mr. Kotick has held business aspirations since his youth, often running neighborhood businesses to make money while in school. He studied art history at the University of Michigan yet remained passionate about pursuing a career as an entrepreneur.
While still an undergraduate, Mr. Kotick co-founded his first successful technology venture, which sparked his decision to pursue business full-time. Building on this early success, he went on to lead several other technology companies within the entertainment industry throughout the 1980s.
In 1991, Mr. Kotick became the CEO of Activision — a then-struggling legacy video game company — after acquiring a 25% stake of Activision with his business partner. He immediately began to reshape the company and brought its focus back to developing its own video game titles.
By the mid-1990s, Activision was once again a thriving company, and Mr. Kotick turned its focus to acquisitions. Due in part to the successful acquisitions of Neversoft (2000), Treyarch (2001), and Infinity Ward (2003), Activision became a leader in the gaming industry.
Mr. Kotick’s most significant deal came in 2008 when he led a merger between Activision and Vivendi Games, creating Activision Blizzard. Mr. Kotick became the first CEO of Activision Blizzard — taking on the role he held at Activision — and grew the company to become the largest in the gaming sector.
Under Mr. Kotick’s leadership, Activision Blizzard consistently set new sales records and collected numerous industry awards. The organization also earned prestigious workplace accolades, including a place among FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” (2015-2019). Activision Blizzard also made multiple appearances on Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment List” (2008, 2009, 2016).
After stepping down as CEO of Activision Blizzard, Mr. Kotick turned his focus to his philanthropic involvement. He serves as Vice Chair of the Board for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and is a board member for Harvard-Westlake School.
Mr. Kotick is also the co-founder and co-chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment, a veteran-focused nonprofit he launched in 2009 with General James L. Jones. The Endowment leverages the popularity of the Call of Duty video game franchise to raise awareness for and funds to fight veteran unemployment. In 2024, the Call of Duty Endowment celebrated its 15th anniversary, reaching a milestone in its mission to support veterans around the world. The organization has successfully helped over 140,000 veterans find high-quality jobs and is committed to assisting 100,000 more over the next few years.
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