要求動視暴雪(Activision-Blizzard)的首席執行官鮑比·科蒂克下臺的呼聲愈演愈烈。部分員工和股東(總計持有480萬股)要求該視頻游戲發行商的首席執行官下臺。但解雇鮑比·科蒂克可能代價高昂。
動視暴雪在今年6月向美國證券交易委員會(Securities and Exchange Commission)提交的委托聲明書顯示,公司如果解雇科蒂克,就需要向他支付高達2.65億美元的補償金。
這是截至2020年12月31日的數字,之后幾個月可能已經做出了調整。這個數字體現了解雇科蒂克的多種狀況以及補償金金額:
? 有條件解雇——264524美元
? 無條件解雇——265175849美元
其他金額為科蒂克死亡、殘疾或因為控制權變更而離職等情況下向其支付的補償金。
11月16日,《華爾街日報》(Wall Street Journal)的一篇報道披露,對于動視暴雪許多部門存在的性騷擾指控,包括一樁強奸指控,科蒂克早已知情。動視暴雪很快對這篇報道提出質疑,稱這是“對動視暴雪和我們的首席執行官不準確且存在誤導性的言論。”當天晚些時候,公司董事會發聲力挺科蒂克,稱董事會“依舊相信鮑比·科蒂克妥善解決了他所知道的工作場所問題。”
但如果《華爾街日報》的報道屬實,并且董事會最終決定解雇科蒂克,這就引發了一個問題:這種情況是否屬于“有理由”解雇?根據委托聲明書,如果科蒂克被“有條件”解雇,他的所有未授予股份和已授予但未行權的期權就將被收回。
科蒂克的員工協議顯示,有條件解雇的情況包括“與其履行職責有關的故意不當行為或重大疏忽,給公司造成或高度可能造成嚴重傷害”,或者“在履行其雇傭協議規定的職責時存在惡意欺騙,并且產生了嚴重不利影響”。
當然,如果科蒂克離開動視暴雪,可能就是通過談判協議的方式,而不是被董事會解雇。
科蒂克并不是唯一一位被要求離職的動視暴雪高管。股東向董事會提交的報告還要求公司兩位任職時間最長的董事布萊恩·凱利和羅伯特·莫爾加多在今年12月31日之前退休。(財富中文網)
翻譯:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
要求動視暴雪(Activision-Blizzard)的首席執行官鮑比·科蒂克下臺的呼聲愈演愈烈。部分員工和股東(總計持有480萬股)要求該視頻游戲發行商的首席執行官下臺。但解雇鮑比·科蒂克可能代價高昂。
動視暴雪在今年6月向美國證券交易委員會(Securities and Exchange Commission)提交的委托聲明書顯示,公司如果解雇科蒂克,就需要向他支付高達2.65億美元的補償金。
這是截至2020年12月31日的數字,之后幾個月可能已經做出了調整。這個數字體現了解雇科蒂克的多種狀況以及補償金金額:
? 有條件解雇——264524美元
? 無條件解雇——265175849美元
其他金額為科蒂克死亡、殘疾或因為控制權變更而離職等情況下向其支付的補償金。
11月16日,《華爾街日報》(Wall Street Journal)的一篇報道披露,對于動視暴雪許多部門存在的性騷擾指控,包括一樁強奸指控,科蒂克早已知情。動視暴雪很快對這篇報道提出質疑,稱這是“對動視暴雪和我們的首席執行官不準確且存在誤導性的言論。”當天晚些時候,公司董事會發聲力挺科蒂克,稱董事會“依舊相信鮑比·科蒂克妥善解決了他所知道的工作場所問題。”
但如果《華爾街日報》的報道屬實,并且董事會最終決定解雇科蒂克,這就引發了一個問題:這種情況是否屬于“有理由”解雇?根據委托聲明書,如果科蒂克被“有條件”解雇,他的所有未授予股份和已授予但未行權的期權就將被收回。
科蒂克的員工協議顯示,有條件解雇的情況包括“與其履行職責有關的故意不當行為或重大疏忽,給公司造成或高度可能造成嚴重傷害”,或者“在履行其雇傭協議規定的職責時存在惡意欺騙,并且產生了嚴重不利影響”。
當然,如果科蒂克離開動視暴雪,可能就是通過談判協議的方式,而不是被董事會解雇。
科蒂克并不是唯一一位被要求離職的動視暴雪高管。股東向董事會提交的報告還要求公司兩位任職時間最長的董事布萊恩·凱利和羅伯特·莫爾加多在今年12月31日之前退休。(財富中文網)
翻譯:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
The cries for Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to depart are getting louder. Both a group of employees and shareholders (who own a total of 4.8 million shares) are calling for the ouster of the head of the video game publisher. But getting rid of him wouldn’t necessarily be cheap.
Activision, in a proxy statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission last June, spelled out just how much it could cost to fire Kotick. And it could run as high as $265 million.
The numbers, which were current as of Dec. 31, 2020 and could have been adjusted in the months since, show a number of conditions and payouts for Kotick:
? Termination for cause — $264,524
? Termination without cause — $265,175,849
Other amounts are given in case of Kotick’s death, disability or termination following a change of control.
On November 16, the Wall Street Journal ran a story alleging Kotick was aware of harassment allegations in many parts of the company, including one alleged rape. Activision quickly disputed the report, calling it “an inaccurate and misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO”. The company’s board of directors, later in the day, supporting Kotick, saying it “remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention.”
If the story is true, however, and the board does decide to ultimately remove Kotick, that would raise the question of whether the action is “for cause” or not. If so, according to the proxy statement, all of his unvested equity and vested but unexercised options would be forfeited.
Among the conditions for cause, according to Kotick’s employee agreement are engaging “in willful misconduct or gross negligence in connection with the performance of his duties that has caused or is highly likely to cause severe harm” to the company or being “intentionally dishonest in the performance of his duties under his employment agreement and such dishonesty had a material adverse effect”.
Should Kotick leave Activision, of course, it would likely be via a negotiated agreement, rather than being fired by the board of directors.
Kotick’s not the only senior Activision official who termination is being called for. The shareholder note to the board also seeks the retirement of its two longest serving directors, Brian Kelly and Robert Morgado, by Dec. 31.