Yesterday at the Hollywood Radio and Television Panel, Producer Brian Grazer lead a Q&A with Disney CEO and current Apple board member Bob Iger. Though the discussion was to center around the television and film industry it quickly turned to Iger’s relationship with Steve Jobs.
In 2006, Disney purchased Pixar. However, Iger said the deal almost didn’t happen because of Steve Jobs’ disagreements with previous Disney CEO Michael Eisner. When Iger found out he would become the next CEO of Disney in 2005, the first thing he did was call his family — and then Steve Jobs.
“I don’t even remember it being totally premeditated,” Iger told Grazer. “I just decided to call my parents and my grown daughters in New York and a couple of good friends and Steve.”
Iger said he asked Jobs if Apple’s and Disney’s relationship could be “salvaged” to which Jobs responded that he thought Iger was just “more of the same” as Michael Eisner. According to The Wrap, Iger said Jobs’ directness was infectious. That in turn led to Iger himself being candid with Jobs about Disney’s desire to improve its animated film division by buying Pixar.
The Pixar deal was eventually achieved for $7.4 billion in Disney stock, making Steve Jobs the largest shareholder in the company. As for Jobs and Iger, the current Disney CEO said that he took to calling Jobs on Saturdays to see if a Disney movie he saw the night before had “sucked” — a phrase Steve Jobs was not afraid to use.
Disney CEO Bob Iger speaks about his relationship with Steve Jobs originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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