Despite some recent setbacks, Microsoft has announced impressive quarterly earnings with $52.9 billion in revenue and $18.3 billion in profits. However, the company has also informed its full-time employees that they will not be receiving their annual pay bumps this year.
In a memo to staff, CEO Satya Nadella cited economic challenges as the reason for the decision, explaining that the senior leadership team had carefully considered it over several months. Nadella emphasized that the decision was necessary to ensure the company’s long-term success. It’s worth noting that Nadella’s own salary currently stands at $55 million per year, following a ten percent increase between 2021 and 2022.
Despite the decision to not provide annual pay increases to full-time employees this year, Microsoft will still invest in its workers through other means such as bonuses, stock options, and promotions. Hourly roles will still receive pay increases, while the senior leadership team and CEO Satya Nadella himself will also miss out on salary bumps.
Microsoft has stated that this decision was made after careful consideration and is necessary for long-term success amid the economic challenges the company is currently facing. Nadella’s own annual salary has increased to $55 million, but this decision will not affect him or other senior leaders.
Also, did you hear the latest on Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard? Well, after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority put a roadblock on the deal, the company is now setting its sights on the EU for approval. And guess what? Rumor has it that the EU will give its nod of approval as early as next week! Of course, I wouldn’t hold my breath just yet – Microsoft was also pretty confident about the CMA’s backing before that whole fiasco. But hey, maybe the EU will surprise us. Who knows? It’s a wild world out there in the world of tech mergers and acquisitions.
Well, I, for one, am not sure what to make of Mr. Wilson’s comments. “Indifferent” seems like an odd choice of words when discussing a potential acquisition of one of your biggest competitors, but hey, to each their own. I suppose it’s possible that EA truly isn’t concerned about the deal, or perhaps they’re just playing it cool in public while secretly sweating bullets behind the scenes.
As for Wilson’s aspirations for EA to become the largest standalone, independent developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, well, that’s certainly a lofty goal. Only time will tell if they can achieve it, but it’s always good to have something to strive for, I suppose.
