Steve Jobs' Rule for Great Entertainment | Bobby Kotick
About Bobby Kotick
Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard, has continued to make public appearances and comments on a range of topics following the completion of Microsoft's acquisition of his company. In a May 2025 interview at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Kotick described the event as "a reminder of how important capitalism is as the foundation of democracy." He also expressed concerns about U.S. fiscal policy, stating that "neither one of the political parties seems to have a huge appetite for really going after spending" and that "K through 12 US expenditures are something in the neighborhood of a trillion dollars but we're now at a place where kids are graduating at 30% of their grade level expectation." Kotick has also discussed his philanthropic focus on veterans' employment, noting that veterans are "two to three times less likely than an ordinary citizen to find a job." Kotick has reflected on his tenure at Activision Blizzard and the Microsoft deal in various interviews. He stated that the company was "very surprised" by the workplace culture allegations filed against it, but said they were resolved "in a way where the bulk of that money is going to our employees, not to the state." He described the Microsoft acquisition as a response to the need for talent in AI and machine learning, saying "Microsoft is clearly right now the leader in AI and machine learning." Kotick has also shared anecdotes about his career, including a story about Steve Jobs insisting he drop out of college, and has commented on the video game industry's evolution, noting that "smartphones became the dominant form of delivery devices for video games" and that the industry has seen "the democratization of video games."