Overview
- Microsoft agreed to pay $250 million on Friday, May 22, 2026 to resolve a multi‑year shareholder suit led by Swedish pension fund Sjunde AP‑Fonden (AP7) over the company’s sale of Activision Blizzard.
- AP7 had argued that former CEO Bobby Kotick rushed the sale while the company’s stock was depressed during misconduct allegations, a claim that prompted Delaware’s Court of Chancery to allow parts of the case to proceed last year.
- Kotick filed counterclaims and retained attorney Alex Spiro during the litigation, and the settlement is set to resolve those countersuits as well.
- The settlement text says no court or independent investigation has substantiated systemic harassment at Activision Blizzard, and neither Microsoft nor other parties have admitted wrongdoing under the deal.
- The payout must receive court approval before distribution to affected Activision shareholders, and while $250 million is small versus the roughly $75 billion acquisition price it closes a high‑profile legal chapter that followed heavy regulatory review by U.S. and U.K. authorities.