Few people in the video game industry are as successful as the head of Take-Two, whose company will also publish GTA 6. When casually asked about his success, he shares his tips for a good business.
Who is it about? Strauss Zelnick is the CEO of Take-Two Interactive. The company is the publisher of GTA 6, but also manages other brands from Rockstar Games, including Red Dead Redemption.
Recently, Zelnick was approached on the street by the owner of the TikTok account theschoolofhardknocks. On the account, you can find short interviews with Tom Cruise and other very wealthy people.
The content creator is interested in the secret of their success, and Strauss Zelnick happened to be in front of the camera. By the way, he knows the target audience of his game very well.
Important lessons for success
What does Strauss Zelnick say? First, the CEO had to introduce himself because the content creator did not recognize him. When asked if he knew GTA, he could only reply with a yes.
With the brand, Take-Two has sold 230 million units, Zelnick explains. In 2025, revenues of 6.5 billion USD were generated, and for 2026, around 8 billion is expected according to the CEO.
But what tips does the successful entrepreneur have for others chasing success? Zelnick says that he has been in the industry for 19 years. He received his education at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.
The content creator then wanted to know a tip that is not taught at Harvard. Zelnick’s answer: “Never compromise your integrity. That’s the only thing you have.”
One must stand by oneself and keep one’s word. The CEO admits that he has made mistakes in the past: “There was a time when I acted in a way that did not align with my views on integrity in business. It hurt me a lot, and I learned a strong lesson from it.”
Moreover, it is important to know that success does not come overnight, but requires perseverance. What is hard to achieve takes time. Generally, Zelnick advises the viewers to do only what they genuinely want and what they are good at, not what others want for them.
GTA 6 is not yet released, but you don’t need a crystal ball to predict: The new installment will also significantly fill Take-Two’s coffers. What do you think of the CEO’s views? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Although GTA 6 is set to be released in November, not much is noticeable in the advertising yet: Head of GTA 6 promised us a creative marketing bomb starting in June, but fans are currently underwhelmed
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