Amidst legislative concerns over national security implications, former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has reportedly expressed keen interest in acquiring TikTok. The move comes as US lawmakers propose stringent measures, including a bill requiring Chinese tech giant ByteDance to divest TikTok within six months or face a domestic ban.

Reports suggest that Kotick conveyed his interest in acquiring TikTok to ByteDance’s executive chair, Zhang Yiming. Sources from the Wall Street Journal indicate that any potential sale could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Furthermore, during an Allen & Company media finance conference, Kotick floated the idea of a partnership to acquire TikTok, an endeavour that caught the attention of industry figures like Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who sees potential in utilising the platform for AI model training.

As legislative gears turn, the US House of Representatives is poised to vote on a bill aimed at tightening regulations on TikTok. Reuters reports that the proposed legislation has sparked controversy, with TikTok decrying it as a precursor to a total ban in the US. The company argues that such measures would curtail freedom of expression for millions of Americans and jeopardise livelihoods across the country.

Bobby Kotick’s tenure as CEO of Activision, spanning from 1991 to 2008, and subsequent leadership at Activision Blizzard following the merger with Vivendi Games, has been marked by significant commercial success. However, recent years have seen both Kotick and the company embroiled in controversy, including allegations of ignoring or downplaying reports of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Kotick and Activision have vehemently denied these accusations.

Kotick’s departure from Activision Blizzard in December, following Microsoft’s acquisition of the company for a staggering US$69 billion, has set the stage for his potential involvement in other ventures, including the reported interest in the TikTok acquisition.

As the regulatory landscape surrounding TikTok continues to evolve, Bobby Kotick’s interest in acquiring the platform adds another layer of intrigue to the unfolding narrative. With legislative battles underway and tech industry titans eyeing strategic moves, the future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain. Stay tuned for further developments as the saga unfolds.