Former Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick has reportedly expressed an interest in buying social media platform TikTok.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the former CEO recently approached ByteDance co-founder Zhang Yiming to state his intent, should the company agree to sell the video sharing app.
The publication stated Kotick is currently looking for partners to join in this potential acquisition, which WSJ said any price tag is “estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars”. According to sources familiar with the situation, Kotick suggested the idea of buying TikTok at an Allen & Co dinner earlier this week, to a group of potential partners. This group reportedly included Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.
Kotick’s interest in TikTok follows a new bill from the US government that would require Chinese owner ByteDance sell the platform due to perceived threat from its links to the Chinese government.
The new bill, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, aims to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications” such as TikTok.
ByteDance would be required to sell TikTok within six months or be banned from app stores and web-hosting services in the US if it does not cut ties with its Chinese ownership.
“This is my message to TikTok: break up with the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users,” US Select Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher said last week, describing China as “America’s foremost adversary”.
President Biden has since said he would sign legislation that could lead to a ban of TikTok if the bill is passed (thanks, CBSnews).
As for Kotick, the former CEO left Activision Blizzard in December after leading for 32 years.
Activision Blizzard previously confirmed Kotick’s presence at the company only until the end of 2023. This was to “ensure a smooth and seamless integration” following Microsoft’s long-winded but ultimately successful $68.7bn acquisition.
Microsoft announced its Activision Blizzard buyout bid in January 2022, following a turbulent period for the publisher after it was rocked by reports of employee misconduct and subsequent calls for Kotick to depart.
