TLDR

Michael Burry bought GameStop shares, comparing CEO Ryan Cohen to Warren Buffett and predicting the company could become like Berkshire Hathaway
Cohen needs to grow GameStop’s market cap from current levels to $100 billion to unlock a $35 billion personal payout
The CEO plans a major acquisition in the consumer or retail sectors to transform the video game retailer into a diversified holding company
GameStop currently holds roughly $9 billion in cash to pursue potential acquisition targets
Cohen owns approximately 9% of outstanding shares and could receive options on more than 171.5 million shares if performance goals are met

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen is pursuing a major acquisition to transform the video game retailer into a $100 billion diversified company. The move would unlock a massive $35 billion personal payout for Cohen.

GameStop Corp., GME

The Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen plans to pivot toward the consumer or retail sectors. This marks a dramatic shift from GameStop’s traditional video game business.

Michael Burry, famous for predicting the 2008 housing crisis, has purchased GameStop shares again. But this time, Burry isn’t betting on the retail business itself.

Burry believes Cohen can become a Warren Buffett-type figure. He thinks GameStop could transform into a holding company similar to Berkshire Hathaway.

GameStop shares jumped roughly 4.5% in Friday trading following the acquisition report. Investors appear to support Cohen’s vision for the company.

Cohen acknowledged the risky nature of his plan. “It’s ultimately either going to be genius or totally, totally foolish,” he told the Journal.

The compensation structure mirrors other moonshot executive deals. Tesla recently approved a similar high-reward framework for CEO Elon Musk.

Building the War Chest

GameStop currently holds approximately $9 billion in cash. This gives Cohen the firepower to pursue acquisition targets with stagnant management teams.

Burry noted in a recent newsletter that Cohen is managing a declining core business. He’s waiting for the right “cash cow” opportunity to emerge.

“He has a crappy business, and he is milking it best he can while taking advantage of the meme stock phenomenon to raise cash,” Burry wrote. Cohen dismissed the “meme stock” label, saying his focus remains on long-term fundamental value.

Cohen personally owns about 42.1 million shares of GameStop. That represents approximately 9% of outstanding shares.

He could receive options on more than 171.5 million additional shares if he meets certain performance goals. Since joining GameStop’s board in January 2021, Cohen has helped the stock outperform the S&P 500.

The Berkshire Comparison

Cohen has already made moves that support comparisons to Buffett’s approach. He added digital commerce to the dying retail video game business.

The CEO has invested in collectibles and allocated some company funds to Bitcoin. However, most of Cohen’s efforts have focused on remaking GameStop itself.

The Bitcoin purchase remains Cohen’s only major outside investment so far. He hasn’t yet made acquisitions comparable to Berkshire’s purchases of American Express or Coca-Cola.

Buffett bought Berkshire Hathaway in 1962 when it was a struggling textile manufacturer. He completely redefined the business by investing in high-quality companies during market downturns.

Cohen’s ability to build a similar conglomerate remains unproven. Investors will need to see more outside investments before validating the Berkshire comparison.

Cohen told the Journal he respects Burry as “one of the few investors I respect.” Burry’s public support adds credibility to Cohen’s ambitious transformation plan.

The post GameStop (GME) Stock: Can Ryan Cohen Pull Off a $100 Billion Miracle? appeared first on CoinCentral.

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Filed under: News - @ February 2, 2026 11:26 am