Ryan Cohen wants to run eBay, not GameStop
GameStop's Ryan Cohen is done playing second fiddle. He just told Business Insider his real goal: running eBay instead.
Ryan Cohen's got bigger fish to fry. The GameStop boss sat down with Business Insider on Friday and made one thing crystal clear: running a video game retailer was never the point. His real target? eBay.
"I did not want to be the CEO of GameStop," Cohen said bluntly. "I want to be the CEO of eBay."
Pretty direct from someone who's spent the last few years turning GameStop into his personal project. But Cohen's never been one to hide his ambitions. He's built a reputation for being outspoken, sometimes to a fault. Just look at how his CNBC interview went viral for all the wrong reasons. When asked about that particular moment, he didn't shy away. He's clearly comfortable being polarizing if it means getting attention for what he actually cares about.
The eBay comment isn't exactly surprising given his track record. He came into GameStop as an activist investor, pushed for a complete overhaul, and somehow convinced people that a dying brick-and-mortar chain could matter again. Whether he succeeded depends on who you ask, but the guy doesn't do anything halfway.
What's interesting is how openly he'll admit this stuff. Most CEOs would dance around a question like that, throw in some corporate speak about "shareholder value" and "long-term vision." Cohen just says what he wants. It's either refreshingly honest or recklessly arrogant. Probably both, depending on your perspective.
eBay's a different beast from GameStop entirely. The online marketplace is massive, established, and hasn't exactly been a hotbed of innovation lately (putting it generously). It's the kind of company that could actually use someone willing to shake things up. Whether Cohen gets that shot remains to be seen.
