In September 2020, Microsoft announced the acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda. A strategic operation which then signed the most important acquisition in the company’s history in video games. And while the investment actually paid off roughly $ 7.5 billion, the signed check appears to have ultimately been more important. Today, and according to the latest reports from Microsoft, the acquisition of ZeniMax Media will ultimately amount to $ 8.1 billion. Explanations.
A check for $ 8.1 billion
March 2021, the IT giant completed the acquisition of ZeniMax Media. After the approval of various international authorities, the company got its hands on Bethesda and all of the group’s studios. An earthquake in the industry, as licenses such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout or Doom then became the property of Microsoft and thus of Xbox. A major buyout that reached $ 8.1 billion.
This amount is communicated by Microsoft itself. At the end of July, the company presented its financial results for the last fiscal quarter and then made a range of media available to the public. One of them is Form 10-K, an annual report required by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). An information-rich document that provides a comprehensive summary of a company’s financial operations.
But a net transaction of $ 7.4 billion
And so in this 10K formula appears the final operation of Microsoft’s takeover of ZeniMax Media.
Translated into French, we can read on the said document: “On March 9, 2021, we completed the acquisition of ZeniMax Media Inc. (“ZeniMax”), the parent company of Bethesda Softworks LLC, for a total purchase price of $ 8.1 billion, comprised primarily of cash. The purchase price included $ 768 million in cash and cash equivalents purchased. ZeniMax’s financial results have been included in our consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition.
So when Microsoft signed a check for $ 8.1 billion to acquire ZeniMax Media, it got back $ 768 million in cash or something similar. This amount is thus increased in the company’s coffers. In other words, after deducting this additional cash, the cost of the operation is between $ 7.3 billion and $ 7.4 billion.
