TECH NEWS – Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is notorious for his disastrous treatment of women. He has also tried to cover up a restraining order filed in 2014 by an ex-girlfriend for years in the media, with Sheryl Sandberg’s help!

Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, has been in the news for years, despite his best efforts, for his horrific and sexist treatment of female employees. Facebook (Meta) COO Sheryl Sandberg was actively involved in covering these up during her relationship with Kotick. So much so, that when one of Kotick’s former girlfriends sought a restraining order against him for harassing her at her home, Sandberg threatened the Daily Mail twice. According to The Wall Street Journal, the COO and Kotick told the Daily Mail that if they published news of the restraining order, Facebook’s business partnership with the Daily Mail could be in trouble.

There has also been much confusion at Activision Blizzard about the restraining order and its alleged withdrawal. The legal papers were reported to be missing, no clear conclusion was reached as to the ultimate fate of the injunction or whether Kotick had any influence on the matter. What is certain, that Sheryl Sandberg and the CEO have repeatedly pressured tabloids to cover up the case, and Activision Blizzard’s board of directors has issued a statement supporting the CEO and denying any scandalous behaviour. “[The board] continues to have full confidence in Mr. Kotick’s leadership and his ability to run the company.”

There has been speculation for years about when Kotick would be fired as CEO, because despite his efforts to cover up news of his scandals, everyone is aware of his scandalous treatment of women. He fired a flight attendant from his own plane because she complained of sexual harassment by the pilot, and one of Activision Blizzard’s co-presidents resigned under him because Kotick refused to pay her the same wage as the other (male) co-president.

Activision Blizzard has been the subject of several lawsuits; the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have filed separate lawsuits against him for gender discrimination. These cases include one in which Kotick stood up for a studio executive after HR investigated a sexual harassment complaint against him and suggested to fire him. He also threatened one of his assistant to have her killed.

Kotick, to protect his reputation (which is already awful) also considering buying up PC Gamer and Kotaku to gain more control over the news about him.

Source: gamesindustry.biz