COVID Central: Bobby Kotick Shared his Phone Number With All His Employees

Like most companies, Activision-Blizzard had to react to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that their employees are only slaughtered metaphorically and economically, not literally. Unlike a lot of other companies though, Activision-Blizzard is run by Bobby Kotick, who isn’t only a monster but also a very public figure who’s very happy to go on record or, in this case, TV. In talking with CNBC about how his company is tackling COVID-19, he revealed some… interesting measures.



He starts by listing the usual measures: employees are working from home, with their office equipment even being shipped home, and they’re even paying to upgrade some employees' broadband internet so they can keep up with the necessary tasks. Employees would also receive mental health coaching and childcare support, if they need it, which more than a few certainly will. That’s all good!

But apparently, ol’ Bobby K decided to take things even further, because he revealed that a month ago he sent all of his employees – all 10,000 of them – his personal phone number, so they could reach out to him if they had any questions or concerns. According to him, a few hundred have already taken him up on the offer.

He also added that they’re teaming up with a clinical trial at the University of California Los Angeles that will provide a low-cost, widely available anti-viral medications.

No matter how we feel about Bobby Kotick – and to be perfectly clear, we feel bad about him – no one can argue this is a good thing to do. What we also can’t argue is that we simply can’t trust ol’ Bobby to keep it up: it seems entirely likely he’ll pull something scummy to start making up for the losses, and we’ll be left with no way to even protest it.

Because unfettered capitalism is a bad joke and the reason people are dying in this country faster than anywhere else.