- Sony President Hiroki Totoki sold 56.5% of his shares two days after the company revealed its digital-only shift.
- The CEO made approximately $4.7 million from this transaction on July 3.
- Former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan did something similar before leaving his post months later.
Sony’s decision to end physical disc production is arguably the most talked-about moment in the gaming world this year. The post announcing this strategy has garnered more views on X than Rockstar’s GTA 6 reveal.
Fans from around the globe have criticised this strategy, and petitions have already been launched to urge Sony to overturn this unpleasant decision. The response from the gaming community has also had a knock-on effect on the company’s leadership, which has apparently started selling Sony shares.
Why it matters: The company’s CEO selling off most of his shares just days after announcing a divisive strategy doesn’t inspire confidence in PlayStation’s and Sony’s future.
According to a new SEC filing, Sony president Hiroki Totoki sold 56.5% of his company shares just days after facing fan backlash for ending physical disc production. The CEO sold 225,000 shares at $21.02 per share on 3rd July, 2026, for approximately $4.7 million.
This move by Totoki came two days after Sony announced its digital-only strategy, which will certainly turn heads, as competitors may assume the leadership doesn’t have confidence in the Japanese giant moving forward.
Interestingly, former PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan also sold a sizeable portion of his Sony stock in December 2023 before leaving in March next year. However, only time will tell whether Hiroki Totoki is on his way out of Sony or is just maximising profits in light of the company’s recent criticism.
The reaction from fans to the Japanese giant’s digital-only move has been overwhelmingly negative, with over 85% of players being against this decision. Fans are threatening to boycott PlayStation, are cancelling their PS Plus subscriptions in retaliation, and are flooding the company’s social media posts with angry comments.
Considering how this decision has also resulted in a €400 million lawsuit, one can’t blame Hiroki Totoki for cutting his losses if that is what the Sony CEO is doing.
Do you think Sony’s president is leaving the company following the digital-only pivot? Does selling shares suggest he lacks belief in PlayStation? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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