Over the years, Mr. Kotick himself has been accused by several women of mistreatment both inside and outside the workplace, and in some instances has worked to settle the complaints quickly and quietly, according to people familiar with the incidents and documents reviewed by the Journal.
In 2006, one of his assistants complained that he had harassed her, including by threatening in a voice mail to have her killed, according to people familiar with the matter. He settled the matter out of court, the people said.
The Activision spokeswoman said: "Mr. Kotick quickly apologized 16 years ago for the obviously hyperbolic and inappropriate voice mail, and he deeply regrets the exaggeration and tone in his voice mail to this day."
In 2007, he was sued by the flight attendant on a private jet he co-owned. The flight attendant claimed the plane's pilot had sexually harassed her, and, after she complained to the other owner, Mr. Kotick fired her. The defendants denied the allegations. In a separate action related to legal fees in the case, an arbitrator, citing what he said was sworn testimony, wrote that Mr. Kotick told the flight attendant and her attorneys, "I'm going to destroy you." A spokesman for Mr. Kotick denied that he said that.
In 2008, they settled by paying the attendant $200,000, according to the arbitrator's decision. A spokesman for Mr. Kotick said he couldn't have fired her in retaliation for complaining because she never complained directly to him.
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