GameStop CEO's 'Monumental' Secret Plan

The GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) community got a spark on Monday from a Charles Payne social media post that perfectly encapsulates the current “hush-hush” era of the company. 

• GME stock is climbing. See the chart and price action here. 

Payne revealed he would not be interviewing CEO Ryan Cohen today, noting that Cohen is currently heads-down on something “monumental.”

"Gamestop Development. I’m not going to interview Ryan Cohen today.   Ryan is working on something monumental, and he would not be able to say much. We both agreed that “I cannot answer that on advice of counsel” is the last thing anyone wants to hear.  I’m on pins and needles like everyone else.  Hope to have news and the interview soon," Payne said in a post on X. 

The most telling part? Payne and Cohen agreed that a string of “I cannot answer that on advice of counsel” responses would be a disservice to the audience. 

That kind of silence can be more deafening than a press release in the world of M&A. 

The $9 Billion War Chest

GameStop is transforming into a high-stakes investment vehicle and is sitting on a staggering liquidity position:

• Cash & Securities: Approximately $9 billion in cash and liquid assets.
• Bitcoin Holdings: A strategic reserve of roughly $519 million in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC).
• The Pivot: Cohen is explicitly moving away from the struggling retailer narrative toward a diversified conglomerate model that has been compared to Berkshire Hathaway.

The ‘Genius or Foolish’ Strategy

In recent interviews, Cohen has been clear about the nature of his plan. He is hunting for a “major acquisition” of a publicly traded company, likely in the consumer or retail sector. 

He described the search as looking for “diamonds in the rough” with “sleepy management teams.”

“It's ultimately either going to be genius or totally, totally foolish,” Cohen said. 

What We Know About the Acquisition Plans

While the specific target remains the “secret” Payne alluded to, the roadmap is becoming clear:

Target Profile: Cohen is seeking an undervalued, durable, and scalable consumer business that is currently larger than GameStop itself.

The $100 Billion Goal: Cohen's new compensation package is entirely performance-based. He only sees a payday if he brings GameStop's market cap to $100 billion and hits $10 billion in EBITDA.

The Burry Endorsement: Even “Big Short” legend Michael Burry has returned to the fold, backing Cohen's vision of using the “meme stock” cash pile to buy a “cash cow” business.

The Bottom Line

With 2026 seeing massive store closures, the old GameStop is being dismantled to fund the new GME. 

Whether the “monumental” secret is a merger with a retail giant like Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE:KSS) or a different move, one thing is certain: Cohen is about to flip the card he’s been holding for five years.

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