Microsoft President Brad Smith said in an interview that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is moving fast. Announced in January, the deal has come under scrutiny for possible insider trading, and some investors have had doubts it will go through. The FTC is handling the regulatory process for the deal.
“It’s moving fast, at least fast enough for an acquisition of this size,” said Smith. “We have received requests for information on this subject here in Brussels, but also in London and Washington. We answer questions, we give briefings and we provide the information requested.
“One of our attorneys summed it up nicely by saying, ‘We’re coming to the end of the beginning and now we’re entering the beginning of the middle.’
“It’s a long process and we’re still at the stage where we’re answering questions. For us, of course, the sooner it is done the better, but we will respect the process.”