Activision’s CEO Made $65 Million Last Year

Activision CEO Robert Kotick is among the highest-paid Chief Executive Officers in the United States. According to Reuters, Kotick made a total of $64.9 million in 2012, including $56 million in stock awards. Kotick’s salary for 2012 was $2 million, twice what he made in 2011.

[NeverEnding1989]

Since so many of you "gamers" continue to buy Call of Duty, this is completely expected.

I wonder how many American homes wouldn't have been foreclosed upon this year if this salary went elsewhere. What a shame.

[jc48573]

lol, man, I still hate COD, but man, that's crazy. Now, they need to tax that bastard.

[-Mika-]

He doing his job very well so he should be awarded for it. I don't see what the big deal is. Second, I don't see how people homes getting foreclosed is bobby fault. They had a responsibility to pay a certain amount of money each month and they couldn't do it. People seriously need to start takingpersonally responsibility for their actions.

[Pozzle]

You don't think $65 million for a CEO is a bit...exorbitant? Doctors and firemen do their job well too, but they don't get anywhere near the amount of money Bobby Kotick is getting. And they're saving lives!

Though I don't know what the point of your foreclosure comment was, other than simply blaming people for something they usually can't prevent (which seems to be something you're good at, Mika). People lose their houses for all sorts of horrible reasons... from banks giving them shady loans they can never pay off, to the primary income earner dying or becoming too ill to work, to a person loosing their job altogether and being unable to pay their mortgage, to being unable to afford balloon payments, to the interest rate on your mortgage suddenly skyrocketing. It rarely has anything to do with a person "not taking responsibility for their actions". What an unnecessary comment to make. >_>

[majiebeast]

Im so glad your back we missed our village idiot.

This little sh*t Kotick doesnt deserve it.
He is destroying any good reputation activision had and taking Blizzard with him. When that cod bomb bursts and it will, i will celebrate cause COD has done nothing for the industry, except holding it back. The fact that COD is now a posterboy for gaming disgusts me, flipping dudebros and 12 year olds.

[Theyellowflash30]

Mika...shut up

[N4GDgAPc]

@majiebeast

Your comment is based on your hate over a game where you are the majority. Alot more people like the game than hate it. Crap load of people don't buy a game because they hate the game so much. And by the way I bet more gamers in the 20 range play COD more than 12 year olds.

And before you make a comment about me I don't even like COD. I'm just not blinded by hate and realize alot of people do like it. And please do explain how COD is holding the industry back? Because I don't see it.

[nukeitall]

This is what is wrong with the people and why I like the US even though I don't live there anymore.

In the US, you get rewarded for doing something well and you don't get taxed to death by your communist country that thinks they should divide the wealth you create with people that don't want to do well.

My opinion, if you become successful, you shouldn't have to be guilty of reaping the rewards, because you earned it!

This motivates people. Where I am right now, it is complete opposite and frankly the country doesn't produce much of any value to the rest of the world.

So no, the CEO earned his keep and that is his and Activisions business what his pay grade is.

@Pozzle:

Actually, in the US firemen and doctors earn very well. Albeit firemen are obviously doing a dangerous job and doctors take years to train and they end up with a huge debt. Both fields earn easily 6 figure salaries.

"from banks giving them shady loans they can never pay off,"

So who signed that loan and agreed to it?

"to the primary income earner dying or becoming too ill to work,"

I'm sorry, but it takes two to have children, so why can't both work and become the primary income earner?

"to a person loosing their job altogether"

The idea is that you are an asset, so you can find jobs elsewhere.

"and being unable to pay their mortgage,"

You should have planned for that nest-egg in addition to those mortgage payments in case of a rainy day. If you can't afford it, don't buy the house!

"to being unable to afford balloon payments,"

That is your own fault for agreeing to the balloon payment!

"to the interest rate on your mortgage suddenly skyrocketing."

It suddenly doesn't skyrocket. It is known in advance, and you signed the dotted line.

"It rarely has anything to do with a person "not taking responsibility for their actions"."

This is the problem with the world. "It isn't my fault", bla bla bla bla.

No, it is *ALL* your fault!

Sure there are corner cases like, you are young and got in an accident and can't work, but for the most part housing issues are *all* your fault. You bought it, good or bad deal with it.

Stop blaming others for your mistakes and stop being jealous of others that are successful and start working towards your own success!

I hate whiners!

This isn't "I come from a poor neighboor hood with lack of education and there is crime around me so I wasn't given an opportunity". It's I bought a house and didn't bother to get educated on one of the most important purchases I have ever done. Now it is blowing up in my face, and it is everyone else's fault!

If banks misled you, then it is fraud. Otherwise, it is all there in the contract!

[Unlimax]

Whenever people Criticize something .. -Mika- appears xD

Just because you like "Lightning" that doesn't mean you have to defend anything lol

Bobby Kotick is the satan of gaming AND the money hungry pig of gaming to your information , so you better be careful next time before defending anything else .. ok mika !

http://oi32.tinypic.com/9vb...

[Tr10wn]

lol haters gonna hate, millions of gamers will buy the next cod and kotick will swim in money you guys have no voice in all this you are the extremely minority the 00.01%.

[insomnium2]

To me this is just disgusting. There is absolutely no job on EARTH that should pay more that 100k dollars a year. In one year this guy just got payed about 65 times more than any normal hardworking guy earns in their lifetime most likely.

In 2012 my earnings were a little over 30k euros and I worked my butt off in overtime and 2 jobs. I'm never home for my kids since I work all the time. I work as an accountant and my second job is a security officer in night clubs. Now seeing as this one man earned 1.7k times more than me last year it just makes me disgusted at everything.

Just utterly and purely disgusting.

[nugnugs]

You dont see something wrong with a person being able to earn more in one year than 99% of people could earn in their lifetime?

[nukeitall]

Why is it wrong that somebody earns more money than you?

Perhaps you should try and take his job, instead of complaining about how he earns more than you!

Yet, I almost never hear, dude this guy makes so much so I'm going to work my butt of and take the chances he does to earn as much as he does.

Now, did you know that Bobby Kotick bought a part of Activision when it was a "nil" company i.e. worth almost nothing and had loads of debt and built it up to what it is today, hiring many hundreds of people.

Let me ask you this, how many jobs does your job create?

Maybe that is why your pay is low!

Stop complaining about how much others earn, and try to earn that yourself.

[dcbronco]

@nukeitall

The problem with America is the slant that makes something like Kotticks salary possible. Companies get huge tax breaks that regular people don't get. Lots of workers deserve more than they make, but it doesn't happen because douches like him make 65 million. A lot of these perks executives get have tax breaks built-in specifically for them. Where's the tax break for regular citizens that lost their homes to scams and and then were penalized further by being taxed to bail out the crooks. I don't blame you for not understanding how corrupt our government and system are. Most people don't get it.

You obviously were in a major city. Firemen in smaller areas probably face more danger because of lesser equipment and receive a lot less pay. But even in large cities, most firemen don't make six figures. In banking you may accept a loan, say for school, and it gets sold and your rates change. That's not fair, you had an agreement. You seem to live in an unrealistic world. Wages are being driven lower by guys like Kottick. Look at what happened to Infinity Ward. You think they earned their money? Didn't stop Kottick from stealing it.

There is a game being played with the average person. You need a degree. Even when the job just needs training, you need that degree that cost far more than it should. Because that school has to pay administrators and buy buildings and land. In DC, the only entity that comes close to acquiring and building new properties with the World Bank in one area is George Washington University. How do they afford so much high profile land and finance all of their office buildings? They charge the highest tuition in the country. College tuition has far outstripped inflation and wages.

So again, you need a degree, but you will go into tremendous debt to do that. Even when the job really just requires a little training. Even though jobs that your parents are likely to have will force you to borrow. Then you find that there aren't any jobs in your field or most others. And on top of all that, that "education you overpaid for, the vast majority of businesses say that it didn't take. According to a annual poll taken from the fortune 500 companies, only 37% of college graduates actually qualify for a job in their field. Which means the schools will graduate anyone with the money to pay. And while a bank won't give you a loan for a house, they will give you money for a degree they know will most likely be worthless.

It's not about whining, it's about a system , that has been exported, that allows the few to prey on the rest. But your mind will change. Your friends have over done it and it will eventually fall apart.

[t0mmyb0y]

Good attitude Mika >.> Sure 1 guy gets $65 MILLION while people who work probably harder than him lose there homes.

[nukeitall]

@dcbronco:

Typical blame it on everyone else for your crappy situation!

It is your responsibility to research your education and make sure it is a wise investment. You have multiple schools to select from including cheap community colleges.

What you don't seem to get is all these people complaining about their situation isn't making the right decisions, and then blaming others for it.

"In banking you may accept a loan, say for school, and it gets sold and your rates change."

There are such things as financial aid, scholarships and school loans funded by the government with low interrest rates. Your responsibility then is to make sure your education is going to an investment and not a money and time sink!

Just like that house you bought.

"Companies get huge tax breaks that regular people don't get."

Yup, and that is the way it should be! You know what happens when a business can't survive? Unemployment and recession!

"Lots of workers deserve more than they make, but it doesn't happen because douches like him make 65 million."

So? Bobby Kotick generats many jobs and producing far more value to the country than most other people that hold a regular job.

Stop being jealous and start working towards being the successful people. To do that you need to accept that there are free lunches AND YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING!

That includes higher wages. If your job was in demand, you would get paid more simple as that!

@t0mmyb0y:

You got to stop thinking about "who works harder" as in hours or effort. It is about what value you produce to society and society pays you back.

It's kind of like, do I work hard when I invest my money and I get a huge payout?

No, I don't work hard, but my money produced more value and therefore I'm rewarded.

If you are working x hours a day and feel you get paid to little, then perhaps it is time to invest your time into something else!

So kids, you are entitled to anything, other than earning your own keep.

[FITgamer]

@nukeitall Firemen aka Fire Fighters to adults don't make 3 figure salaries. On average they don't make much more than a high school teacher($40,000 yearly). Also something like 70% are volunteers so they obviously aren't making 3 figures.

[RioKing]

@Pozzle "You don't think $65 million for a CEO is a bit...exorbitant? "

65 Million is the amount he made total that year, 57 million of that came from STOCKS (INVEST PEOPLE!!) only 2 million of that actually had anything with him being the CEO.

Don't get me wrong, I strongly dislike the guy...but you can't blame him for making $57 million from investing in activision...

[LOGICWINS]

@Neverending- The same can be said for nearly everything else. The 40 bucks people will spend on Soul Sacrifice next week, could be used to give 4 people in Africa clean water for life.

Theres ALWAYS going to be better use for peoples money than buying Call of Duty...or any videogame for that matter.

Imagine how many American homes wouldn't have been foreclosed upon this year if gamers nationwide used that money and gave it to the less fortunate.

[JoGam]

Logic, you're always debating with someone. Why is that?

[DestinyHeroDoomlord]

Hahaha for life? You don't know much about Africa do you. ..

[rezzah]

If people really wanted to help the world, they would do it without allowing the meaning given to money to get in the way.

[dcbronco]

Logic tell me what would happen if the 99% stopped doing business with the 1%. We would still be able to grow food. Protect ourselves from the environment and other things. We advance most of the technology and make built everything needed for society. Most rich people contribute little really. They fix laws in their favor. They exploit less informed and oppress any opposition. They rewrite history.

No one would really have to sacrifice much if we got rid of most of the 1%. They serve no real purpose.

[SonyPS4]

I agree with Logicwins. People just love to hate on video game for being successful just because they simply don't like video game. Look at all the fanboys on the internet bashing Nintendo for milking Mario and Zelda. The reason Nintendo does this because Mario and Zelda has a large fanbase, and thus a company would cater to their fans' wants so long the demand still exists (and so long this demand is profitable, because face it, it's business). Call of Duty has one of the largest communities of any franchise in video game history. That is something we must accept. We don't have to like Call of Duty, but we have to acknowledge the fact Call of Duty is the bread and butter of today's gaming. The video game industry doesn't revolve around some little cult of nerds, and Call of Duty haters need to get used to that.

[Gazondaily]

Well said logic. Keyboard warriors with their digital pitchforks out trying to justify their hatred towards someone's success is nothing new and I didn't expect anything more from the users on here.

As a businessman, I say well done to him. Its not easy to achieve what he has.

[HappyGaming]

@Septic and as a businessman I understand that if any of us were put in his shoes the company would probably lose billions in value within the first year.

Hence why he get £65 million he is good at what he does and thats make money. If he didn't get £65 million he would just move to another company that would pay him that much (wouldn't you?) and Activision shareholders would lose way more then they could have payed him to stay.

[JoGam]

Now I know where the royalties for Infinity Ward went.

[SonyPS4]

Call of Duty has a huge fanbase and you're nothing more than an insignificant, vocal minority. You wouldn't be saying the same if your favorite franchise returned double this money (not like it had a chance to begin with). You are just hating on a video game for the sake of hating on a video game. Nothing more, nothing less.

[zeal0us]

I wonder what is the average activision's employee's pay?

[RandomDude655]

86849, http://www.salarylist.com/c...

CEO pay is 782 times the average worker. America's problems in a nutshell.

[ErzaScarlet]

Heck they even close some of their Studios due to lay-off.

[DaThreats]

Really?
They could have just used that money to open up studios or something.
He is making way too much just for a gaming business. I say should of been 30$ mil max.

[matrixman92]

disgusting

[Theyellowflash30]

I don't understand why he is getting paid so much, while Activision let the whole team from High Moon Studios go.

[N4GDgAPc]

Because they hired a lot of people to finish the game. Once Deadpool was finished they had to let go employies from High Moon Studios. When they start there next game they will probly hire a big team again once it gets to crunch time. If they keep all employies after a project is done they will lose money.

To finish the game faster they just have around 200+ employies and when project is done they let them go.

[Theyellowflash30]

Activision has had regular layoffs as well thought. Nobobdy should be let go when the CEO makes 65 million a year.

[N4GDgAPc]

Its buisness. Why keep people when you will lose money. And he only made $2million as a CEO. Pretty much the rest is from stock market.

You can't have 200+ employies that make an average between $50,000 to $100,000 a year work on next game from the start. You create a game to make money not lose it. Whats the benefit of him using his money to keep employies when its not making any money. You start a buisness to make money right?

And I bet most of the employies already knew or was a possibility about them getting laid off after the project is done. They were hired to finish the project.

Now from what I've seen how you counter this is actually work on 2 games at once. When your halfway done with the game start pulling a few people off to start developing the next game. Instead what they did is only focus on one game.

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

I find it funny that a lot of you think not buying CoD will change this. What will happen is their employees will keep getting laid off. This guy won't be forced to resign unless he says some absurdly stupid shit.

[adorie]

Not buying CoD will put into question his vision of the company. It's a start. Blizzard is a sinking ship too. Some of the most hardened, Blizz Faithful are turning their backs on Blizz, thanks to D3, they thought they could get away with screwing us over. Console version of D3 with off-line sent many people over the edge.

Gaming is NOT what it used to be.

[majiebeast]

West and Zampella and Blizzard deserve all the credit not Mr Kotick he didnt do shit and now he is becoming rich on someone elses work he is a parasite.

[Mustang300C2012]

And what have you done armchair cheerleader?

[TechnicianTed]

'he is a parasite'

He's a businessman. There are a LOT of people like him in the world. It doesn't make it right that he earns so much money, but that is the way the world is. He didn't earn all that money just through Activision, he's a director at Coca Cola as well, but he also owns a good chunk of Activision.

If you owned a part of a company, and that company earned a lot of money, wouldn't you want a cut of that money?

[adorie]

Let's rephrase that, shall we?

He is a Parasitic Business Man.

[adorie]

Bu-bu-bu- Corporations are people tewwwwww!

Let's cheer on those big buildings, those billions in assets and of course,those wonderful lobbyists that are shoehorning people into the corner with every day that passes through bad legislation.

People like Mika are going to ensure a bright future for the people of America.

[chrispseuphoria]

Meanwhile in Africa....

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Average map packs were to blame,apparently.
Meanwhile in North America.......

[artdafoo]

Well at least he not spending it on stupid crap like dedicated servers. Least he could do is blow a couple bucks and get a Weave or Jerry Curl. Cuz that 70's style mini fro you rocki'n, shit's tired Bobby. Straight up.

[artdafoo]

Fo real though.

[Djinn]

This is why I will never buy a COD or even an activision game. I'm not contributing to this dipshit's wallet. Everyone and their mother bitches up a storm about EA but no one says a thing about activision and their money grubbing COD every year and DLC bullshit.

THANK YOU EA FOR MAKING BIOWARE PORT OVER THE ME SERIES. ME3 WAS THE BEST.

[Tetsujin]

I'm another person who refuses to buy any Activison games, new or used (I know they don't see $ on used, but still it's based on principle). What I really don't understand; the majority complain so much about CoD, and about how it's "holding back" the industry, yet these are the same people who show up at some midnight launch to buy the next game. After CoD 4, and the comment Bobby Kotick made around the time MW2 was coming out, I wrote Activision off and never looked back. To this day I still refuse to buy their games; yet there's those cheerleaders who will still bend over every year for the new CoD and then go online posting how they "hate" it.

[josephayal]

He Deserve MORE Money 200-400m, Call of Duty is one of the most fun games out there

[adorie]

Just give him the worlds diamonds and gold... so he can drown in it!

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

Nothing a CEO does warrants 65 million a year... The Company works as a whole but the people at the top tend to think they're more deserving than everyone else. This isn't just Activision... this is every major company out there. Kotick's salary is actually kind of modest to some of the real crooks out there.

Something needs to be done about the exorbitant amount of money CEO's pay themselves... I bet you there would be less lay offs.

[PooEgg]

I think that way too. Unless you own the company and run it single handed with no other employees you do no deserve such a high salary.

While I can respect that some CEO's live, sleep and breath their company, most are simply overpriced mouth pieces. It is greed at its finest, and one of the reason's our economy is so screwed up.

If CEO's made a more reasonable salary, companies could afford to hire more employees, and pay all of their current employees better wages.

If every company in America did this, it would help the economy, because more people would have jobs and money to live off of, and it would get people off of unemployment and welfare.

A lot of CEO's make more money in a hour than their employees do in a year, it is a wonder it isn't a crime.

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

65 Million a year = 650 people making $100,000 a year or 1300 people making $50,000 a year.

$100,000 is considered rich or upper middle class in most area's while $50,000 a year is enough to have a comfortable living.

It's insane for one person to make that amount of money especially when most of the country is living below the poverty level.

[GABRIEL1030]

ActiviGate...

Some good studios like "Big Huge", THQ, Volition and Lucas Arts were closed for bankrupcy, yesterday EA Layoff a lot of people and the games are very expensive; 60 USD with a tons of DLC's. All for pay the ridiculous salary of a executive while the game programers and designers have bad salaries. No more COD scam for me¡

[ginsunuva]

Wait that's it? You'd expext in the 100 mils.

[cleverusername]

Not a penny came from me!!!

[Mr Tretton]

These are some of the dumbest posts I've ever read on here.

[kostchtchie_]

So this is were all the money is going, wondered why so many people in the world are living in poverty

[Bonerboy]

Who cares? Oh wait... people who envy his position and bank account. Go Bobby go, keep raking in that cash.

[aLucidMind]

Just because a person doesn't like how much he makes doesn't mean they're jealous. I'm far from jealous as I make more than what I need to live comfortably, my problem with it is that $65 million is beyond excessive for a one individual to make in even their entire life. No sensible person needs, nor should they want, to make that much.

[DJ]

Everyone here's just jealous.