Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Injured in Serious Bicycle Accident (Exclusive)

Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, was injured during a serious bicycle accident on Thanksgiving Day with two other entertainment moguls, Brian Grazer and Bryan Lourd. In a FaceTime interview with TheWrap, Kotick said Imagine Entertainment co-founder and producer Brian Grazer and CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd were biking with him in Manhattan Beach, California when his front tire caught on one of his two friends. “I did fall off my bike Thursday with Bryan and Brian but no surgery, nothing broken, just black and blue and bruised,” Kotick said. In the FaceTime, Kotick displayed a black and swollen right eye and a severe contusion to his nose. He showed other significant bruising on his legs. But the gaming mogul said he was back at work and that he wished he had “something more entertaining” to share.

A group of Hollywood power-brokers, including Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger and Paramount Pictures CEO Jim Gianopulos often ride bikes together on weekends. Kotick was named CEO of Activision in 1991 and became CEO of Activision Blizzard when the company was formed in 2008 after a merger. He is also the co-founder and co-chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit that helps veterans find high-quality careers after their service.

In 2016, Kotick started dating Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, which came 10 months after the death of her husband, Dave Goldberg. The couple split in 2019. Activision Blizzard has enjoyed a big 2020. The company’s stock price has jumped 36% since the start of the year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced more people to stay inside and play video games. At about $80 per share, the Santa Monica-based company is hovering near its all-time high set a few months back. Activision Blizzard is perhaps best known for its Call of Duty and Candy Crush franchises.