Bob Chapek vs. Bob Iger is Back…And Almost Happened for Real with a Lawsuit
Bob Chapek vs. Bob Iger is back, baby! The latest development is that this saga almost played out in an actual courtroom and not just via palace intrigue in Hollywood and financial media. This article shares some interesting anecdotes from Disney’s Bob Swap™️ and the Battle of the Bobs via lengthy article that documents how the drama unfolded thanks to new interviews with the Bobs’ colleagues, friends, and spokespeople.
This is the the first there have been any major new developments in all of this in over a year–one year and two days, to be exact. It’s the second time we’ve truly been treated to Chapek’s version of events in this whole sordid affair, making for an interesting and less one-sided summary.
If you’ve just joined Bob vs. Bob already in progress, you’re in for a treat. We aren’t going to recap everything that has transpired, but here’s a quick refresher. After being named CEO in early 2020, Disney Fired CEO Bob Chapek and Rehired Bob Iger as CEO back in November 2022. That article recapped this saga dating back to 2020 and covered why we weren’t surprised by this development.
There were a lot of subsequent developments in the Battle of the Bobs that trickled out over the course of the last two years, but the Disney drama had been colored by Bob Iger bias. It was obvious that the Iger camp was providing background, while Chapek kept pretty much completely silent.
That is, until around this time last year when news “broke” that Bob Chapek Claimed Being Disney CEO Was 3 Years of Hell, But He Pet a Hippo. That was very clearly written in coordination with the Chapek camp, and frankly, it still made him look incompetent. Sure, it also made Bob Iger look bad, but it was kind of remarkable that this was the best Chapek had as his rebuttal in the smear campaign.
It turns out that it wasn’t. The new-for-September 2024 piece in the New York Times is the lengthiest, most comprehensive, and pro-Chapek piece to date. The whole saga has been equal parts Succession and Game of Thrones…or a sequel to DisneyWar. Oh, and this particular NYT piece has a byline from the author of DisneyWar!
I found the latest long read, The Palace Coup at the Magic Kingdom, to be very fascinating and highly engaging. If you’re new to this saga, you’re in for a treat–and are better off reading that than this post. Just being honest–James Stewart and Brooks Barnes can write circles around me.
However, if you are not new to this, fair warning–it has about 95% overlap with the hippo piece from this same time last year. Given that and since this is like our 23rd article on the Battle of the Bobs, I’m going to cut to the chase and focus on a few of the most fascinating revelations.
It makes sense to start at the beginning, which is that the article reiterates the Chapek being chosen as Iger’s successor and the accelerated plan for him to take the helm as CEO began in December 2019, was cemented in January 2020, and had nothing to do with COVID.
I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe this. Both Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland closed in January 2020–one full month before the abrupt announcement that Iger was stepping down, effective immediately, to be replaced by Bob Chapek. The notion that Iger would leave the helm with so much unfinished business, without an externality just strains credulity. Iger is all about his legacy and stepping away in early 2020 makes absolutely no sense from that perspective, but for COVID.
As we’ve maintained since the beginning, Iger saw the writing on the wall in early 2020. Articles with inside info from 2020 and 2021 make obvious that Iger didn’t really want to retire, and wouldn’t have but for COVID. Chapek was chosen as a matter of expediency–to be the hatchet man who made unpopular and tough decisions to get the Walt Disney Company through a tough time before the triumphant return of Iger.
I believe Iger, Chapek, and the board had talks about succession in 2019. Sure, why not. Iger talked about that a lot. But given everything we know about Iger and potential successors over the years, it’s curious that this is just accepted by the media as how things unfolded. Whether Chapek was set up as a fall guy or a witting and willing participant in the process is more of an open question.
Aside from this, there are a lot more anti-Iger statements and color commentary in the latest piece, which is likely aimed at better balance. From previous reporting, we already knew that Bob Chapek viewed his tenure at Disney as “three years of hell,” defined by one overriding theme: frequent fear that Iger wanted his job back.
This reiterates that, while also adding background to the drama and backstabbing that played out between the Bobs, and how the board acted as an intermediary. The general sense of that is Chapek was told to be deferential to Iger at first given his experience and relationships, but over time, the board became more sympathetic to Chapek. At least, until they weren’t.
None of this is going to surprise anyone who has paid any degree of attention to this saga. It’s all entirely believable, and exactly what you’d expect given what has come out previously. Some of this makes Iger look bad–petty, vindictive, and unable to cede his grasp on the throne. It actually makes us mildly sympathetic to Chapek!
In other cases, Iger being hands on and taking the wheel, so to speak, is entirely expected given Chapek’s lack of experience and his many unforced errors. Despite this being a lengthy article, there’s so much that’s been covered elsewhere that’s glossed over quickly here–the Cast Member furloughs and price increases, in particular, come to mind as disputes over which Iger was 100% correct and vindicated on almost immediately. If anything, perhaps Iger should’ve been more assertive and hands on.
There are also things for which Chapek is unfairly maligned. The big one is Disney’s streaming losses. It was always the plan for Disney+ to lose money as it chased subscriber numbers and growth over profitability. Chapek doubled down on this at the behest of Wall Street, and when he had no other options while the parks were closed and streaming subscriptions were exploding.
It was absolutely the right move at the time, and one that was rewarded by Wall Street…until it wasn’t. Anyone who was harsh about those billion-dollar streaming losses in 2022 either fundamentally misunderstood what was happening, or did understand, but had unfairly moved the goalposts.
That was just one of several Chapek-era decisions that has been unfairly vilified. He was forced to make a lot of tough and unpopular decisions because those were the only cards he had to play. Admittedly, I didn’t like a lot of those as a fan, but understood them given the circumstances. But in the end, Chapek also made it very difficult to defend those decisions because he did such an abysmal job of that himself. His terrible messaging was a liability on several occasions, and he had a knack for making a bad situation somehow worse.
One of the biggest tidbits from the NYT piece is that Chapek hired Bryan Freedman, a lawyer in Los Angeles known for handling high-profile media departures, after he was fired by Disney. Mr. Freedman advised Chapek that he had “a very strong legal claim against Bob Iger for illegally interfering with his ability to do his job.”
However, Chapek told the attorney that his children and grandchildren were a “Disney family” and he couldn’t bring himself to file a lawsuit that might hurt the company, according to Mr. Freedman.
The article also indicates that Chapek has felt “muzzled by a severance agreement” and stayed in the background in the face of what he considers unflattering, unfair and, in some cases, inaccurate accounts of his leadership. Though Chapek joined the board of a medical technology firm, the article indicates that few other opportunities have come his way.
I don’t doubt that Chapek hired an attorney or feels that way. A couple of things, though. First, there’s probably more to the story. If I hire an attorney and ultimately don’t pursue legal action, of course my attorney is going to offer a face-saving statement on my behalf. An attorney that publicly bad-mouths their own clients is an attorney who doesn’t get much future work.
Not only that, but you don’t hire an attorney to evaluate potential legal recourse if you have zero intentions of doing anything. It’s not like some ambulance chaser propositioned Chapek out of the blue and he shut it down with an admirable, “no, we’re a Disney family, I can’t hurt the company I love even if it hates me.” This was a calculated decision made by Chapek after measured deliberation, evaluation, and guidance. (Hard to believe Chapek did any of those things given his track record for the exact opposite at Disney, but being fired and publicly humiliated has a way of humbling a man.)
More likely, Chapek was advised that he had a potential case but that there was a decent probability that he would not prevail. That it would be costly, play out in highly visible fashion in the press, and further illuminate his many mistakes as CEO. That he would again be outmaneuvered by media-savvy Iger at every turn. That it would be difficult for the career of his son, who is a producer at Marvel. Pretty easy decision not to sue from that perspective.
Then again, maybe the explanation is far simpler: Chapek signed up for a Disney+ trial and can’t sue!
As for Chapek feeling muzzled, it’s very difficult to take that claim seriously given that the two biggest articles in the Battle of the Bobs in the last 367 days have clearly had more involvement from his camp than Iger’s. If Chapek doesn’t like the way he’s portrayed in the media, he should look no further than in the mirror. This is Chapek being portrayed in the most flattering light, and it’s still pretty bad. For good reason, as his tenure as CEO was a trainwreck!
Again, I do feel slight sympathy for Chapek. He was not set up for success, and was thrown headfirst into a situation that would’ve been difficult for even a skilled and experienced executive. Having Iger breathe down his neck only exacerbated this. Maybe things would’ve played out differently if Iger didn’t step down in 2020, but instead stayed through the storm, began the succession process then, and left the company in early 2022.
Personally, I think the process would’ve been the different–and much better–but the end result still would’ve been the same. Chapek would not have been CEO by the end of 2022. Because he never would’ve been chosen as CEO in the first place; Bob Iger would’ve realized the error of his ways and chosen someone else were he not in such a rush to name a successor in early 2020.
A couple of random tidbits from the article. It confirms that Iger demanded former CFO Christine McCarthy’s resignation. Disney’s official line when this happened was that she was taking medical leave, but we speculated that she was being forced out.
Another item of interest: Josh D’Amaro’s name doesn’t appear in the article at all. It’s probably good for his future prospects that he’s not swept up in this drama, but it’s also interesting that one of the heads running an instrumental division during this timeframe didn’t merit even a passing mention. The parks come up a lot, but D’Amaro, not at all.
There’s also more color commentary that cements Iger choosing Chapek as his successor as the “worst mistake” of his career. There’s one March 2020 anecdote of Chapek sitting by himself on the company jet away from everyone else during what should’ve been a briefing. It culminates in this: “Mr. Iger suddenly felt as if he were at the wedding altar with the bride walking down the aisle. He realized he’d made a terrible mistake. But it was too late.”
It’s obvious that Iger had buyer’s remorse with Chapek. However, it’s also clear that he was a known quantity! Both Bobs knew that Chapek lacked Iger’s charisma and wasn’t a natural communicator. Even Chapek acknowledged that he had low “E.Q.,” or emotional intelligence. Iger urged him to work on this, and suggested he schedule one-on-ones with the board to develop rapport and lay out his vision for the future of Disney.
One of my favorite lines from the entire NYT piece is actually a photo caption: “Mr. Chapek frequently told associates that he had low ‘E.Q.,’ or emotional intelligence. To come across as more personable, he interacted more frequently with theme park guests and petted a hippo.”
There’s just something slightly absurd yet perfect about the CEO of one of America’s most iconic and public-facing companies openly admitting this and then trying to address the issue in those ways. A real chef’s kiss caption.
Suffice to say, it’s difficult to believe that Iger didn’t know exactly what he was getting with Bob Chapek. It feels like an eternity ago, but Bob Chapek was well-known among Disney theme park fans and was widely disliked even before 2020. This is despite Chapek presiding over Parks & Resorts during an era of expansion. This is notably at odds with fan response to other executives–Bob Iger was beloved at the time, as were the individual resort complex presidents and park VPs.
Some of this can be hand-waved away as fans having an outsider view of the company, and viewing things in simplistic and reductionist terms. It’s easy for fans to view things as a good/bad dichotomy, and executives as heroes and villains. But honestly, that’s kinda the point here. We all saw that Chapek lacked emotional intelligence, charisma and charm.
This is also why it’s tough to be sympathetic towards Bob Chapek. I’m not going to belabor the incalculable x-factors he lacked here, as that’s something he previously discussed at length in Bob Chapek Did Not “Get” Disney. However, I will add that it wasn’t simply superficial. There are many other reasons, including substantive stories about Chapek’s shortcomings and mistakes even before he became CEO.
All of this is the basis for our long held negative opinion of Chapek. Although he seemed to relish insulting and antagonizing fans, there are also valid bases for the differences in how Iger, D’Amaro, and other members of Disney leadership are perceived as contrasted with Chapek. It’s not merely a matter of them being better at manicuring their public image and Chapek not caring.
It’s also difficult to feel too badly for Bob Chapek given the damage he inflicted on Disney and its fans, some of which has since been undone but a lot of which never will be. There’s also the fact that Chapek was paid $20 million in severance to go kick rocks. (Money well spent by Disney, if you ask me!)
As for the NYT piece, an unfortunate amount of this reads as middle school drama–the juvenile nicknames, needless jabs, and all of the gossip. It’s difficult to walk away with anything but the sense that everyone here sucks. It will probably make you respect the Walt Disney Company and its leadership over the last ~5 years a little (or a lot) less. That’s one fairly unavoidable conclusion.
With that said, there are two paragraphs that stand out to me towards the end. The first is about Chapek: “At the same time, he certainly contributed to his own demise. Soon after he was named chief executive, he stopped ingratiating himself with Mr. Iger. And, by the end, nearly his entire executive team had turned against him, even people he’d hired and promoted. So did the board — not just Ms. Catz, skeptical of him from the outset, but also Ms. Arnold, once his strongest defender.”
Contrast with this, about Iger: “Current Disney executives say Mr. Iger has restored morale and brought needed stability to the management ranks…Mr. Iger was greeted by fans with delirious applause when he appeared onstage at this summer’s D23 fan gathering in Anaheim, Calif. Mr. Iger was so moved that he had to fight back tears before speaking.”
Ultimately, that’s the most insightful part of this for me–and it’s practically glossed over: even Chapek’s own people turned against him by the end. As we pointed out back when Chapek was fired, there was a tremendous top-to-bottom improvement in employee morale at the Walt Disney Company when Bob Iger returned. The biggest difference between the two Bobs is in leadership, and that is paramount to setting the tone at a creative company like Disney.
The NYT piece is an exceptional long-read, but it doesn’t change anything. It just adds anecdotes and reiterates that there are no heroes or villains here. Neither Iger nor Chapek are totally to blame or are totally blameless. Even after hearing Chapek’s side of the story and feeling ever-so-slightly sorry for him, I’m still firmly on Iger’s side and am very glad that he returned.
I maintain that Iger was and is the only one that could navigate the Walt Disney Company through the rough waters of the last few years–and that he should’ve stayed through the pandemic. But I’m also ready to see him go. Bob Iger is a hero turned arsonist turned firefighter. I hope he gets his happy ending and emerges as a hero once more–because I’m a Disney fan and the alternative means something awful for the company. Beyond that, it’s time to turn the page and for fresh blood and new leadership.
Need Disney trip planning tips and comprehensive advice? Make sure to read Disney Parks Vacation Planning Guides, where you can find comprehensive guides to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond! For Disney updates, discount information, free downloads of our eBooks and wallpapers, and much more, sign up for our FREE email newsletter!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts on Chapek not suing Iger or the company because he’s part of a “Disney family”? Do you feel more sympathetic to Chapek now? Anything to add about the timeline and events that precipitated Disney’s Bob Swap™️, replacing Chapek with Iger? What about anything else covered here? Agree or disagree with the firing of Chapek? Hearing your perspective–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m not a fan of either of the Bobs and didn’t need that NYT piece to compel me to have less admiration and respect for senior Disney management or the board. My feelings of disgust for them are based on concrete actions, monetizing, and reductions. The common denominator of all the bad things that were implemented or that have occurred these last 10 years for the WDC (reputation damage, reductions, and price increases) happens to be Bob Iger. He is the one constant. He’s the man that kept his office and never truly left. He’s stayed on way too long and I whole heartedly agree with the last 3 sentences of Tom’s article with one exception; I don’t care if Iger gets his happy ending.
Both Bobs have ruined Disney and continue to destroy it. The latest disaster is the DAS mess. My wife and I have visited WDW over 1500 days and Disney land hundreds of times. As our annual passes just expired we decided to renew them with the cheapest Florida plan. We saved over $2,000 so now we will buy annual passes for Universal and Busch gardens because Disney is not as enjoyable as it was. We rarely go now and want to find other venues.
The board made a huge mistake when they fired Michael Isner. They should try to bring him back to fix the disaster they created hiring the two Bobs.
It’s interesting to look back at GE’s transition from Jack Welch to Jeff Immelt (already a few good books on that one)- another popular-with-investors CEO that could not pick a successor, then finally ripped off the bandaid right before an unimaginable tragedy. Welch had similar buyers remorse but was not brought back. (There are a book’s worth of reasons why not).
There’s just something about long tenured, successful CEOs that makes succession incredibly difficult- I’ll believe Iger will leave when he is physically incapable of reentering the building.
Of course we were all happy Iger was taking over, however, that was short lived. Iger admitted so many things were wrong, but did nothing to improve, instead he goes full force into PRICE GOUGING. Iger, increased Disney+ by adding $50.00 and more to subscription or unsubscribe. Perks in parks are minimal at best, buy your park tickets then pay extra to ride, quality of merchandise is trash, honestly, I could go on and on. Micheal Isner saw Walt’s vision. I knew once Isner was gone the company would be about money and power. Chapek should have been fired without any compensation, not a PENNY! Josh D’Amaro should have been fired as well.
Initial pricing for the streaming services (all of them) was always about driving subscriber growth over profitability. One of the biggest problems that led us to where we are today is being fixated on the number of subscribers and not long-term viability. To be sure, that made sense as Disney aimed to catchup to Netflix’s early-mover advantage and get ahead of other nascent competitors. But the bottom line is that Disney+ was unsustainable at launch pricing–and it resulted in stagnation for the parks over the last few years.
Here’s a good read about this generally, beyond just streaming: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/06/uber-ride-share-prices-high-inflation/661250/
Highlight of the entire post came halfway through with the reference to Chapek and his Disney+ trial!!! I wish I had said it first!!!
That NYT article felt interminable! My biggest takeaway was disbelief that the board allowed such a broken reporting structure from the get-go. It would have taken two incredibly mature, respectful and simpatico professionals to navigate that structure, and that was obviously not what they were working with! A downside to companies with powerful internal storytelling is they tend to lean into the cult of personality. Starbucks has run a similar process with Howard Schultz over and over again. These corporate idols are seldom well positioned to select their own replacements. There should have been a thorough vetting process separate from Iger and the new, properly chosen leader should have received equal parts support and empowerment.
“That NYT article felt interminable!”
I’m honestly surprised it wasn’t presented as an excerpt from an upcoming book. Or maybe they needed this to do well in order to get a publisher to bite? Either way, it’s pretty safe to say we’re getting a sequel to DisneyWar.
“A downside to companies with powerful internal storytelling is they tend to lean into the cult of personality.”
This is a fantastic point. There are easily a dozen examples of this right now–most CEOs in Silicon Valley and pretty much all of those whose name the average American would know, with the possible exception of Jensen Huang.
…and a cardinal rule of many careers— it could be in coaching, or the next CEO, or even the next manager —is that you really don’t to be ‘the next in line’ to take the job because you’ll inevitably be compared to your predecessor if that person was successful and well-liked.
That was a lengthy article. Seems like lots of people were willing to talk off the record :-). Iger probably is not as well-liked as we all might think. But it also shows that these board members get their seats based on connections but seem to also be bungling incompetents.
And this statement below seems to be the essence of the whole story. Other than Iger being a favorite of fans what has really done to the average visitor to the parks? Prices have gone up and up, he never brought back the free transportation from MCO, etc etc. He mostly continued Chapek’s policies.
“…the same time, he certainly contributed to his own demise. Soon after he was named chief executive, he stopped ingratiating himself with Mr. Iger…”
Since Iger returned in November 2022, have prices actually gone up that much? The biggest price increases that we’ve tracked all happened in 2021-2022.
There was a WDW ticket price increase a few weeks after Iger became CEO again, but that was announced prior to his return. The next price increase on admission doesn’t take effect until 2025. (See: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/2025-ticket-price-increases-disney-world/) That’s actually the longest Walt Disney World has gone without a price increase in a long, long time.
At the same time, discounts have increased on resorts and admission–as we’ve pointed out repeatedly, it’s effectively cheaper to visit this October through December than it was during the same stretch in 2022 due to aggressive promos now versus nothing then.
In fairness, that has almost nothing to do with Iger and everything to do with the economy and end of pent-up demand. Likewise, Iger isn’t going to bring back free FastPass since Lightning Lanes are such a lucrative revenue generator.
The costs has increased even more when you factor in that you have to pay for Individual Lighting Lanes, Genie + and it’s successor along with much earlier closing times. In years past, you’d buy your tickets and although actual park hours may not have been published, you knew they’d be open past 10pm if not later. These days we have 6pm closings on party days. They have operating hours similar to a bank branch.
Hooray for the Umbrella Bob photo!!!
+++
Agreed, was waiting for it and then was rewarded with both the wide shot and the CU! Fantastic.
I read this piece on Sunday and was hoping you would do a post about it. I agree with pretty much everything you said. I immediately noticed the byline, but I was a bit disappointed in the actual story. It read more like a tabloid piece to me. It very much felt like they were trying to point readers in one distinct direction of “poor Chapek” until much closer to the end. To the average NYT reader, the take away, especially if you did not read the entire piece, is that Iger is a monster, and Chapek is a victim. Fact is, Chapek was never ever a fit for Disney regardless of his readiness or ability to be a CEO anywhere. He literally said it himself about “low EQ” which is critical for the face of a company like Disney. Moreover, he called Disney a “media” company instead of a “creative” company. To me, nothing is more clear that his priority, perhaps even only concern, were the ledgers. the never understood Disney. It certainly felt that way with much of what he prioritized, implemented, and ended, not to mention how staff was treated. To be fair, Iger clearly mucked things up as well. I agree that it was a calculated move to step down and promote Chapek. Then he clearly had so, so many regrets and mucked it up more. I am glad he came back to straighten things out, but their needs to be a well-planned, firm transition to someone new, not another extension for him. The Board needs to grow a backbone and do right by the company, employees, and fans.
It’s patently obvious, and the article seems to admit as much, that they spent a lot more time talking to Chapek and his people than Iger. That, more than anything else, explains the slant of the story.
Perhaps the silver lining here is that Iger and co. didn’t talk. That he wants to move past the palace intrigue and focus on the work? Probably wishful thinking, but I don’t know how else to explain it. Very rare to see even a quasi-Iger hit piece in a major publication.
Reading between the lines into why he was chosen, I’m guessing he must have been a massive brown-noser to Iger while attempting to get chosen, always gracious and telling him what he wanted to hear. Then once he got the top job, either that wasn’t enough anymore, he stopped those efforts, or both, leading to Iger realizing just what he had gotten himself into.
I don’t think either Bob understood Disney the way Michael did. The reasons for disliking Chapek are clear and need no further advocacy. Iger also led the company into complacency and mediocrity both in its media and, to a lesser extent, at the parks. Disney needs to learn it cannot be all things to all people. It needs a return to wholesome family values and childhood. Don’t chase millenials and the latest political craze.
As to all the palace intrigue–that is just to be expected. All large organizations operate exactly the same way.
“Iger also led the company into complacency and mediocrity both in its media and, to a lesser extent, at the parks.”
I think this is difficult to judge. What was in the pipeline for the parks as of late 2019 was really good. But for COVID, I think Walt Disney World would’ve had an incredible 50th Anniversary celebration, including the opening of TRON and Cosmic Rewind in 2021. That presumably would’ve kept the ball rolling on theme park investments, and we’d be enjoying an Animal Kingdom expansion right now instead of 2027.
As for movies, Disney’s theatrical slate set a box office record of $11 billion in 2019. Not all of that was good critically, but what the company pulled off with the MCU culminating in Avengers: Endgame was nothing short of remarkable. Even before that, it was an incredible run for WDAS and Pixar, with a great mix of original stories and sequels.
Where the company (and Iger, as head of the creative side) started to lose the thread was during COVID. With the benefit of hindsight, they pushed too hard on Disney+ and that had major negative consequences. They got away from core values. They made a number of bad decisions.
Had COVID not happened, it’s hard to say how things would’ve played out. I’m sure some of those bad decisions still would’ve been made. But to the same extent? Doubtful. COVID was Iger’s equivalent of Eisner losing Wells. I just hope Iger gets to have a final act resulting in redemption.
Tom–these are fair points, and I might pull back a bit on what I said in the original post. It is hard to remember the state of things pre-Covid Disney. Iger certainly has some major accomplishments in Pandora, Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge. As you point out, the best of Pixar came in the late 2000s, early 2010s. I agree that Avengers/MCU is a big accomplishment. However, that gets to my point about Disney deviating from timeless children’s stories. I was just never on board with the Marvel and Lucasfilm mergers, and that really is the touchstone of the Iger-era.
These “family values” dogwhistles are so amusing to me. Who exactly do you think is the core demographic of people bringing families to parks in 2024? The oldest millennials are in our early 40s, and many of us went to the parks as children and are bringing our own. This is not the 1950s, and our families don’t all look like Leave it to Beaver.
Josh D’Amaro for CEO!
and I suppose Jeff Vahle for Chairman of Disney Experiences
Iger is an idiot who only knows how to spend money he doesn’t have
Chapek is a joyless bean counter only interested in slashing everyone else’s budget to keep funding his beloved D+
Could you please support the facts that support your opinion?
You think that Iger was too afraid of COVID for personal reasons, his own age and/or possible illness? Or do you think he saw covid coming and knew it would devastate the entertainment industry and lacked the self-confidence that he could steer the ship through the storm, that he thought it would sink and didn’t want to be at the healm when it did? Either way it still highlights his inability to be a good person. He’s an awful person. I don’t think he could have been worse than how Chapek handled it but Iger deserves all of the blame cause his pride and ego led to that rushed decision.
Josh D’Amaro for CEO!
and I suppose Jeff Vahle for Chairman of Disney Experiences
He saw COVID coming and knew it would decimate Disney’s business.
Few other individuals would have as much insight. Disney works with the government(s) in China and Hong Kong as they’re the partial owners of those parks. Disney owns ABC News, which has outposts around the globe that would’ve been reporting on it in real time. Iger *probably* was in contact with the White House (not to mention other politicians).
If there’s anything Iger underestimated, it’s how quickly the US economy and stock market would bounce back. If a time traveler told Iger in Feb. 2020 that $DIS would hit its all-time high in March 2021, I’ll bet anything he wouldn’t have left.
I hope that is Iger’s eternal legacy…he bailed on Disney, he never “got” Disney, he never truly believed in Disney and he bailed on the first bit of insider news that trouble lay ahead. He is fake and a phoney.
I didn’t read the article, pay wall issue so I’m not a Chapek fan cause of it. It’s just obvious being a Disney fan for decades that Iger never “got” Disney, only the stock price.
“If you’re new to this saga, you’re in for a treat–and are better off reading that than this post. Just being honest–James Stewart and Brooks Barnes can write circles around me.” Love the unexpected American Adventure!
Iger is an idiot who only knows how to spend money he doesn’t have
Chapek is a joyless bean counter only interested in slashing everyone else’s budget to keep funding his beloved D+
For decades, going back to Eisner vs Roy vs Jeffrey, Team Disney Burbank, aka “the snake pit”, has allegedly been making the C-Suite Life seem more like a daycare run by the toddlers. The only winner here is the NYTimes writers. Everyone else came off looking worse, again.
Other media companies (and companies, in general) seem to have these same issues. It doesn’t get as much coverage, but Warners is a trainwreck under Zaslav. Paramount has had problems and in-fighting among the Redstone family (and others) for years. (Side note: The Offer is a great show that views this decades ago through the lens of the Godfather’s production.)
I think Disney just gets more attention because it’s higher profile and it has a rich history of public-facing leaders. (That, alone, should’ve been disqualifying for Chapek as CEO.) In the end, people are the same all over. That’s only amplified with bigger egos and more power at play.
“Bob Iger is a hero turned arsonist turned firefighter” is a great analogy. Thank you for summarizing the NYT piece (that may end up behind a paywall for me, anyway!)
I am cautiously optimistic that a successor will continue with the positive trajectory (minus the missteps like getting rid of MK ROA and informing us after D23) and look forward to seeing a proper passage of power this time.
p.s. – keep up with the hippo photos, as it never gets old! When I see the hippo on IASM or even a live hippo at AK, it always makes me chuckle 😉
“minus the missteps like getting rid of MK ROA and informing us after D23”
While I have no inside information, I suspect that decision was made below Iger. If you’re looking for anyone to blame, the better targets are Josh D’Amaro, Jeff Vahle (WDW Prez), Sarah Riles (MK VP), and Bruce Vaughn (WDI Prez).
I’d imagine Iger was looped in and could’ve vetoed the move…but I doubt he had/has hands-on involvement. Perhaps that has since changed as a result of backlash–I don’t know.
one Bob smiles the other Bob doesn’t,.. people like smilers,.. it might be more complicated,.. but not by much,.
I read the entire article on Sunday morning – Once upon a time I was an Iger fan, he lost me a few years ago and this article cemented it. It validated everything I began to suspect about the man. At some point, all of it began to be about him, instead of the company. As for Chapek, at first, I wasn’t a fan and still am not, but over time I began for feel a bit sorry for him and this article also cemented that. I do not think he was given a fair shake to run the company.
I saw that article over the weekend, but didn’t realize the byline was the same author as DisneyWar. It’s interesting to read pieces like that and see it illustrated that these high level executives are really just people too with all the same foibles as the rest of us. It doesn’t make me feel sorry for Chapek at all, though. I manage a small group of scientists and for his 3 years of “hell”, Chapek got paid more all of those scientists combined will make in their entire careers.