Blizzard president to become new CEO of Bored Ape Yacht Club

Activision Blizzard’s president is leaving the company next year to pursue a career with Bored Ape Yacht Club as its new CEO.

Activision COO Daniel Alegre is leaving the company for “another opportunity,” according to an 8K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He will finish the term of employment, which ends on March 31, 2023. He has been with Activision Blizzard since 2020.

During his two years at Activision Blizzard, the company was heavily under fire for gender discrimination, and many higher-up employees were accused of harassment. Female employees accused Blizzard of turning them down for promotions and paying them less than their male counterparts. At one point, a lawsuit even claimed that a woman had taken her life after her boss shared nude photos of her with other employees.

Despite the ongoing legal issues, Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. There have been some regulation issues since then, and the company has continued to change its structure and employees. This now includes the departure of Alegre.

Where is Activision COO Daniel Alegre going?

Alegre is leaving the gaming industry to pursue a career at a blockchain firm. In the first half of 2023, Alegre will become the CEO of Yuga Labs, the parent company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club. Current CEO Nicole Muniz will step down and become Yuga Labs’ partner and strategic advisor.

What is Bored Ape Yacht Club?

Bored Ape is the brand behind the controversial collection of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, that depict a variety of apes in different clothing. There are currently 10,000 unique Bored Ape NFTs, all available for the right amount of cryptocurrency. A lot of these coveted NFTs are being sold for the equivalent of well over $1 million, especially ones previously owned or inspired by celebrities like Justin Bieber.