Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford "absurdly" accused of paedophilia and secret $12 million bonuses by former lawyer

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has been accused of pedophilia and embezzlement in a lawsuit filed by former company lawyer Wade Callender.

As Gearbox’s personal lawyer between 2010 and 2018, Callender personally saw Gearbox through some rather tough times at the company; namely, the Gearbox battle over Colonial Marines’ false advertisement.

Callender and Pitchford’s lawsuits against each other both revolve around the same core issue: both parties are accused of violating their legal duties to Gearbox Software. Callender accuses Pitchford of taking a “secret” $12 million bonus from Take-Two Interactive. Pitchford accuses Callender of taking advantage of Gearbox for his own personal gain and destroying evidence of a home loan agreement between himself and Gearbox.

It’s a messy lawsuit, but Callender’s accusations towards Pitchford are even more bizarre. In the lawsuit, Callender alleges that Pitchford left a USB drive in a Texas restaurant back in 2014. Alongside sensitive corporate documents detailing partnerships with various company, the USB drive also, allegedly, contained illicit pornography.

“Upon information and belief, Randy Pitchford’s USB drive also contained Randy Pitchford’s personal collection of ‘underage’ pornography,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit also says that Pitchford allegedly would hold parties where “adult men have reportedly exposed themselves to minors, to the amusement of Randy Pitchford.”

Gearbox lawsuit by on Scribd

A Gearbox spokesperson responded to Kotaku, the original reporter of the story, saying, “The allegations made by a disgruntled former employee are absurd with no basis in reality or law. We look forward to addressing this meritless lawsuit in court and have no further comment at this time.”

Gearbox has been an active developer since 1999 and has brought some of the best and worst games to market in recent years. Borderlands, Brothers in Arms, Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines have all seen the light of day because of Gearbox.

Source: Kotaku