GameStop’s Ryan Cohen gives up a pay package worth up to $35bn to chase eBay

https://media.thenextweb.com/2026/05/gamestop-ebay-56-billion-bid-amazon-rival.avif

Ryan Cohen has asked GameStop’s board to remove the performance-based stock award it proposed for him in January scrapping a package that analysts had valued at as much as $35bn if every milestone were hit.

Cohen, who is both chairman and chief executive and draws no salary, said he wanted the company’s leadership focused on its operating performance and its proposed acquisition of eBay.

When the board signed off on the award, GameStop had not yet decided to pursue eBay at all.

The precise framing matters here, because the news has been reported in shorthand that flattens it. Cohen did not walk away from money already in his pocket.

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

The award was a proposal,...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to thenextweb.com. To see the full text click HERE

Read more

https://media.wired.com/photos/6a3bc8bcb0d9ff58f6121983/191:100/w_1280,c_limit/GettyImages-2204326766.jpg

Qualcomm plans to acquire Modular, which builds a chip software platform and has a proprietary coding language, in a nearly $4B deal set to close in H2 2026

Sponsor Posts Fast, affordable law for startups — Soxton automates startup legal so founders can move faster and sleep better. We handle incorporation, advisor, employment and commercial contracts. Join the waitlist for early access! Stop vibe coding analytics — Equals AI turns questions about your business into auditable spreadsheet models and dashboards.