West Ham could see a large investment from a controversial figure in the gaming world.
After the devastating passing of both David and Jacquiline Gold, the family decided to sell up to 10% of their 25% stake via Rothschild. Vanessa Gold was eager to point out that they will only sell to someone they see as suitable and someone who has the club’s best interests in mind in order to protect their father’s legacy. Now, according to @westhamfootball on X, Bobby Kotick could look to acquire the shares.
Kotick is currently the CEO of Activision Blizzard. For those that don’t know them, they’re the company that publishes Call of Duty each year and they have just been involved in a long dispute with Sony (Playstation) about being purchased by Microsoft (Xbox). This has finally been resolved and the acquisition has finally gone through for $69 billion, meaning that Kotick (being a major shareholder) is about to receive a massive paycheque.
In fact, the American businessman specifically has a change-of-control protection that means he would receive even more if Microsoft decided to replace him. As of right now, he has agreed to stay in the position until the end of the year but it does not look likely that his tenure will extend beyond that.
Like any other immensely rich businessman though, he is desperate to make more money and that could lead him to invest in the East London club. He would be joining fellow American Tripp Smith in investing in the Hammers.
Despite having large amounts of cash behind him, there are a few reasons that fans are not keen on the idea. One of which is the extent to which he has prioritised money over quality, with the majority feeling like Call of Duty, as well as other Activision franchises, have gone downhill – they are littered with in-game purchases and poor design choices. This is not to mention the disgusting allegations and scandals he’s caught himself up in since becoming CEO.
Overall, he really does not look like the ideal individual to invest in our club. Fortunately, it’s a minority stake but, based on his track record, West Ham should steer well clear of Kotick if they know what’s good for them.
The above referenced news articles do not necessarily reflect what is being reported by ExWHUEmployee on The
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