When Bob Iger stepped down as CEO of Disney in early 2020, he clashed with his chosen successor, Bob Chapek. But we really didn’t know how bad – and how insignificant – some of the things Egger had done to express his dissatisfaction with Chapek’s decisions were so far.
An incomplete list of everything Bob Iger did to annoy former Disney CEO Bob Chapek
This report from CNBC gives us a glimpse into what went on behind the scenes at Disney, from Chapek’s appointment as CEO in 2020 to Iger’s eventual acquisition in 2022 — and let me tell you, some of the drama here is like Cinderella with CEOs. Here are the best moments we learned about.
Maintain large office with private bathroom
Despite his departure as CEO, CNBC reported that Iger was not ready to give up his “expansive” office at Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, California. After all, he will remain CEO of Disney for the next 22 months.
The office came with a private shower that Egger is said to have used after his 4 a.m. workouts. On days when Egger had to attend an event later, he would take another shower in the office. “He lived through those shower days,” Iger told Chapek, according to CNBC. Meanwhile, Chapek was left with a smaller office, sans bathrooms, on the same floor.
As CNBC reported, Iger’s office bathroom had some select decor, including a framed set of newspaper and magazine clippings about Disney’s acquisition of Marvel. There was also a modified Clint Eastwood movie poster egger penalty, which follows an assassin who comes out of retirement to take one last job, which replaces “Eiger” with “Iger”.
We immediately regret the appointment of Chapek as CEO
Iger began to regret the decision to appoint Chapek as CEO as early as two weeks after Chapek’s appointment, according to CNBC. When Iger, Chapek, and other Disney executives traveled to North Carolina for Disney’s annual meeting, CNBC reported that Iger gave Chapek the unexpected task of leading the question-and-answer session in Iger’s place — even though the new CEO only attended the meeting. Only one annual. A rendezvous during 27 years at Disney.
CNBC reported that after two hours of “general preparation” with Egger, Chapek went to a private area in the back of the plane to study the information he needed to know. Apparently Egger didn’t like it. He reportedly told friends at which point he realized he “might have made a mistake”, as he thought Čapek would “work alongside him for the next 22 months” rather than doing his own thing.
Anger at Chapek for not including him in the company’s decisions
Even as CEO, Egger was reportedly annoyed with Chapek for not including him in company decisions. CNBC reports that Egger privately stated to friends that he “felt like he was on a bus that other passengers wanted him to drive but he couldn’t get to the wheel.” Iger predicted that Chapek would not be the “dutiful lieutenant” Iger had become to his predecessor, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
Taking credit for managing Disney during the pandemic
In the midst of the covid pandemic, a report from the The New York Times He noted that Iger was “effectively back in running the company” even after Chapek was named CEO. Egger did not deny the claim, writing in an email to: times: “A crisis of this magnitude, and its effect on Disney, would of necessity lead to my effective assistance to Bob and the company in dealing with it, especially since I had been running the company for 15 years!”
It didn’t sit well with Chapek, CNBC reports, who called Egger and said he “didn’t need a savior.”
Failure to intervene during Disney’s feud with Scarlett Johansson
In 2021, Chapek’s Disney company has raised issues Black Widow Scarlett Johansson revealed her plans to release the Marvel movie in theaters and on Disney Plus for an additional fee. But Johansson’s contract did not include a streaming release, which led to a lawsuit that Chapek was said to have thought Iger would handle, as he had a “long relationship” with her agent and “knew Johansson”.
Despite these relations, Egger did not interfere. According to CNBC, Iger believed the situation was an “obvious business matter” and that “if Chapek wants to be CEO, he should be CEO.” Iger also didn’t speak during the meeting Disney had with its attorneys, with CNBC reporting that he thought the discussions sounded like “amateur’s hour.”
While both Iger and Chapek eventually signed a public statement about Johansson’s lawsuit, CNBC says neither agreed with his harsh tone, implying that the actor was seeking more money. However, CNBC says that neither Iger nor Chapek “halted the film’s release because each believed the other should be in charge.” Egger reportedly asked Chapek to issue a public apology, but Chapek refused — sources told CNBC that Egger hadn’t even considered apologizing.
Not to mention Chapek during his farewell party
When Iger threw a retirement party for himself, CNBC reported that he “reluctantly” invited Chapek, who canceled his plans in order to attend the party. During Egger’s speech, he notably excluded Čapaek, who sat further away from Egger while being “obviously miserable”.
Speak privately with Disney executives after retiring
Even after Iger stepped down as CEO in December 2021, Chapek still couldn’t shake off his influence. Iger still talks with current and former Disney executives about Chapek and the company’s future, and some have asked him to return to the company, CNBC reported. In addition, Iger reportedly met with Christina Schake, Disney’s newly appointed chief communications officer, whom CNBC says Chapeek considered “dining with the enemy.”
Taking Chapek’s ideas for Disney Networks Linear
On top of all this, Egger recently hinted at selling some of the Disney Channel Linear – an idea Chapek that Egger was reportedly not a fan of in the past. Chapek also featured a streaming-only version of ESPN that Iger is now pushing forward, with reports suggesting that Disney is looking for partners to take a minority stake in the network.
And this is not the only move by Egger that contradicts his previous positions. While Iger reportedly wanted Disney Plus to be the cheapest streaming service on offer, he’s following in Chapek’s footsteps by raising the price yet again. Whether Egger wants to admit it, he may now see reason in some of Czapek’s business decisions.
And in July, Iger extended his contract with Disney through 2026, and according to CNBC, he did. truly Plan to retire this time. But the question of who Iger will choose as his successor — and whether he’ll be able to keep his hands off Disney after its acquisition — remains.
