Games Thirst – Amazing Life
Fire shots high up in the skies using your Famas, shotguns and even your sniper rifles, as Activision has gained its independence by buying back itself from former owner, Vivendi.
Huge piles of money switched owners, with Activision Blizzard splashing around $5.83 billion to buy back 429 million shares.
Vivendi now owns only a 12 percent stake in the company, not enough to have any influence. Prior to the buyout, Vivendi owned 52 percent of Activision in a deal penned in 2008. It’s a move lead by Activision passionate CEO Bobby Kotick who, along with chairman Brian Kelly, led a separate investment group’s purchase of 172 million shares for $2.34 billion.
Kotick and Kelly apparently committed $100 million combined to that investor, ASAC 2 LP, which counts online Chinese mega-company Tencent among its number.
Kotick appears to be pleased with the deal, stating that it represents a “tremendous opportunity” for Activision Blizzard. “We should emerge even stronger,” he proclaimed, “an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value and expand our leadership position as one of the world’s most important entertainment companies.”
He later added: “The transactions announced today will allow us to take advantage of attractive financing markets while still retaining more than $3 billion cash on hand to preserve financial stability.”
