U.S. probes options trade gained on Microsoft-Activision deal - WSJ

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) - U.S. Federal prosecutors and securities regulators are investigating large bets that Barry Diller, Alexander von Furstenberg and David Geffen made on Activision Blizzard Inc shares in January, days before the videogame maker agreed to be acquired by Microsoft Corp, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

IAC Chairman Diller, his stepson von Furstenberg, and music mogul Geffen have an unrealized profit of about $60 million on the options trade, based on the recent Activision share price of around $80, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter.