Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Declares Elon Musk 'Best Owner of Any Game Company'

Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has expressed a strong belief that Elon Musk would be "the best owner of any game company." Speaking on the Rushmore podcast, Kotick stated, "Elon truly would be the best owner of any game company. There's not a person who'd be more qualified to build and run a game company."

This perspective is notable given Musk's known interest in titles like Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4, despite his admission of having paid others to play for him and boost his accounts. Musk maintains that he is "pretty good at videogames." The true extent of his capabilities in game company ownership might soon be tested, as his xAI company has promised to "release a great AI-generated game before the end of next year." This upcoming venture will serve as a practical demonstration of how Musk aligns with Kotick's high praise.

Adding a layer of complexity to this endorsement is Bobby Kotick himself, a controversial figure within the industry. He led Activision from 1991 to 2023, departing shortly after Microsoft's acquisition of the company. His tenure was marked by significant controversy, including lawsuits in 2021 alleging workplace misconduct and discrimination. Kotick was notably accused of protecting an employee involved in sexual harassment. He is also recognized for his often contentious statements and a staunch pro-business philosophy that some critics argue overlooks human elements.

Beyond gaming, Kotick's admiration for Musk extends to his business decisions. He not only praised Musk as the ideal game company owner but also defended his acquisition of Twitter (now X). "For the betterment of society, he needed to actually own X," Kotick asserted. "He's way too capable. The things he's working on, there are too few people in the world that actually could do that. So those are the priorities of how do you actually save humanity, improve society; he's got his priorities right." This stands in contrast to Kotick's opinion of former Electronic Arts and Unity CEO John Riccitiello, whom he has labeled the "worst CEO in the industry."