Bobby Kotick Gets His Paycheck, But Only Barely

Bobby Kotick is getting paid after all.

The Activision Blizzard CEO will get his plus-sized pay package, following a close vote among shareholders today. That went 54% for and 46% against, according to Yahoo! Finance, ensuring that Kotick will receive $155 million for his services.

Today's vote came after a highly scrutinized delay on the vote that was supposed to occur on June 9. According to CtW Investment Group, this unusual move came after 86% of shareholders had already voted; considering the narrow margin of "victory" for Kotick -- just 8% -- it seems reasonable that those 14% who hadn't yet voted provided that margin.

Still, given that slight edge, it would appear that CtW's efforts are working, albeit at a slower pace than the organization would prefer. For possibly the first time Kotick might have cause for concern regarding his compensation, and it might be that the next time it comes up for a vote, he might not fare as well.

It's also possible that upcoming big titles from Blizzard, such Overwatch 2, and Diablo IV, could have a significant impact on whether Kotick's leadership is considered worth retaining at such a high price in the future. The teams for both of those games could face additional pressure to perform, coming from the very top, and it's an open question as to how that will play out.