No, Soulja Boy does not own Atari, says Atari
The folks at Atari probably shouldn't be forced to have to make that statement, but the situation pretty much demands it.
It’s probably a pretty weird day for a company when you read the buzz going around and have to clarify to the world that, no, a famous rapper did not sieze ownership of your brand and you are not buying his product(?) for millions of dollars. That, however, was the exact case for Atari after Soulja Boy randomly declared he owned the company and they were going to buy his Soulja Boy Game console for $140 million. Atari stepped in to say, no. None of that is actually true.
It all started on August 18, 2021, when Soulja Boy appeared on a YouTube video on the B.I.D. TV channel claiming he was “the first rapper to ever own a videogame company.” In case you were confused (because he also reps himself as CEO of Soulja Boy Game and its line of questionable-quality products), he meant Atari: “I own Atari,” he claimed. He also claimed Atari would be buying the rights to his Soulja Boy Game console for $140 million. And so, late on August 19, Atari stepped in to say that Soulja Boy does not, in fact, own the company now.
We know that CEO of Atari is a dream job, but that honor belongs to Wade Rosen
— Atari (@atari) August 20, 2021
Atari has been in quite the splintered state with various companies owning bits and pieces of the IP. There have been projects planned on the name brand of the company such as game-themed hotels. However, the most notable co-owners of the brand are the ones that are running the launch of the Atari VCS hybrid PC/console. In the case of that ownership, the one leading the company is still majority shareholder and CEO Wade Rosen. It’s unclear what may have prompted this, but it’s also not the first time Soulja Boy has made brash claims about his business endeavors.
Nonetheless, Atari has attempted to clear the air on the matter: Soulja Boy does not own the company and probably won’t anytime soon. Stay tuned for any further updates and new details on this odd story.
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replyTJ Denzer posted a new article, No, Soulja Boy does not own Atari, says Atari
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Read about this earlier today. I honestly don't understand who his customer is. Are these mostly fans of his and just willing to buy whatever he pitches to them? If I remember right the system he tried to see was kind of garbage. I haven't retro gamer types talking up his stuff or brand.
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