Satya Nadella's total compensation for the year increased by 63 percent, reaching .1 million, with a salary of .5 million and stock awards totaling .2 million. He also received .2 million from a non-equity incentive plan and 9,791 in other compensation. The rise in pay is attributed to an 81 percent increase in stock awards. Microsoft laid off approximately 2,500 employees, but Nadella remains optimistic about the company's future. The acquisition of Activision Blizzard King in October 2023 expanded Microsoft's gaming ecosystem, adding hundreds of millions of players and bringing the total number of franchises generating over a billion in lifetime revenue to 20. Microsoft has also introduced four titles to the Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation platforms for the first time.