Disney CEO Bob Iger was labelled a “killer” by former Mouse House boss Bob Chapek, who complained that he weakened by igger According to one report, as he began his disastrous three-year tenure as CEO — even after his wife accused him of being Iger's “pet dog.”
“I can't endure two more years of this,” Chapek told his chief of staff. Within a few weeks of being appointed as the Chief Executive Officer In early 2020, Given that Iger “is not going to leave” and “he will remain there until he dies,” the new York Times Reported over the weekend
Arthur Bochner, Chapek's former chief of staff, said the Disney corporate office on the sixth floor of the Burbank, California headquarters was a “pit of snakes”.
Chapek's tenure as CEO asymmetrically terminated In 2022 when his guru Boardroom coup planned,
According to the report, Chapek realized soon after being appointed to the top job that he was in trouble, especially given the fact that Iger, who resigned as CEO just before the coronavirus pandemic, was asked to stay on as “creative director” and executive chairman of the board.
According to the Times, Iger, who had more than $100 million in unvested Disney stock options whose value he wanted to retain, wanted Chapek to handle the more mundane tasks of the job while he retained overall creative control of the company.
But when Iger wanted Chapek to work under him, Disney's board members rejected the idea, citing company rules that required the CEO to report directly to the board. Eventually, a strange compromise was reached in which Chapek was told he would have to report to both Iger and the board.
This was followed by a quick announcement, in which Disney revealed that Chapek would be the company's new CEO, while Iger was appointed executive chairman – “the sudden move left Hollywood shocked and appalled,” according to the report.
“Mr Iger's close friend Paul McCartney called him to ask if he was ill,” the report said.
Meanwhile, Chapek quickly realized that Iger was still the de facto boss. He was reportedly upset that Iger did not include him in discussions with California Governor Gavin Newsom about keeping Disneyland open during the pandemic.
Iger also slammed Chapek's decision to furlough more than 90,000 theme park employees at the start of the pandemic, when governments banned public gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the Times, Chapek was so powerless at the company that his wife told him he was nothing more than Iger's “pet dog.”
Chapek was reportedly enraged when then-Times columnist Ben Smith published an article detailing how Iger had “reasserted control” of the company.
Believing that Iger had leaked the details to Smith, Chapek, who was referred to in the column as “the new, nominal chief executive,” confronted his mentor over the phone, saying: “You've cut the ground from beneath my feet.”
“I have never felt worse in my life.”
According to the Times, Iger told multiple people that no one had ever treated him so disrespectfully in his entire life. The paper reported that this phone call essentially ended the relationship.
Chapek also angered the board members In which many wrong steps have been pointed out.
Oracle CEO Safra Catz, who recently left Disney's board, reportedly threatened to have Chapek fired if the company went ahead with the release of the animated film “Strange World,” whose plot revolves around an openly gay teen.
Chapek also faced criticism from prominent Disney shareholders such as Abigail Disney, granddaughter of company co-founder Roy Disney, after he refused to sign a petition circulated by the LGBTQ lobby group Human Rights Campaign opposing controversial gender identity legislation in several states.
When Disney employees pressured Chapek to reverse the decision, the CEO agreed, denouncing Florida's so-called “Don't Say Gay” law, which prohibits sexual and gender identity education for elementary school children.
But according to the Times, Disney board members believed Chapek went too far in the other direction, leading Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and the GOP-dominated state legislature to get into a fight with the company.
Chapek's role at the company was called into question as Disney said Chapek's role at the company was called into question. Its share price saw a massive drop This is due to heavy losses in its streaming business as well as a slow recovery in its theme park division.
Iger He was finally reappointed as CEO last year.
The Post has sought comment from Chapek, Disney and Oracle.
