Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, is one of the most prolific people in the gaming world right now. He has been the face of Grand Theft Auto for a while, offering key updates on GTA 6’s timeline during financial updates and in interviews, and talking up Rockstar Games at every opportunity.
In a recent interview with a TikTok label called The School of Hard Knocks, Zelnick was stopped in the street to address his rise to success and discuss what it takes to become rich and maintain that wealth.
Strauss Zelnick Ranks Integrity Above Everything
Strauss Zelnick has been in the games business for just shy of two decades, working his way up to CEO of Take-Two Interactive, one of the most valuable brands in the industry. Under the Take-Two label sits Rockstar Games, the studio behind the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, widely anticipated to become the fastest-selling game ever made.
In a recent financial report, Take-Two suggested it would be pulling in more than $8 billion in revenue this year, all thanks to GTA 6.
The School of Hard Knocks, a TikTok channel with 6.7 million followers that stops the most high-profile billionaires and successful people on the street to interview them, recently caught up with Zelnick. Previously, the channel has interviewed the likes of Tom Cruise, Shaq, Rick Ross, Dana Strong, Will Smith, and countless CEOs and company founders.
The channel’s host asked Strauss Zelnick what his top tip is for being successful in business that you wouldn’t necessarily learn at Harvard (which is where Zelnick went to school), and he replied:
Never compromise your integrity, it’s the only thing you have.
I have flaws. There was a time I acted in a way that wasn’t consistent with my views about integrity in business and it hurt me really badly, and I learned a powerful lesson.
Never do that.
He then went on to say that everything worth doing is hard and takes a long time, and there are no overnight successes, which is arguably the case with Grand Theft Auto, which started as a controversial, unassuming series at the turn of the millennium.
His ultimate tip for those looking for success was to identify what you truly want in life, not what someone wants for you, and then go for it with all your energy. But, he warned, don’t chase your passion. Look for the combination between what you enjoy and what you’re good at, but lean more into the latter.
Here’s the full clip:
Later this year, on November 19th, Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games will finally release Grand Theft Auto 6 after two delays and years of development. It’s reportedly the most expensive game ever made, and it has been a head-turner every single time any kind of update has emerged into the market.
The expectations around GTA 6 are immense, and it’s set to be a paradigm-changing title.
Do you think Strauss Zelnick is right when he talks about becoming successful? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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