Disney CEO Bob Iger recalls the “years” of Steve Jobs, Pixar and Disney.
Editor’s note: This article is from the WeChat public account “Geek Park” ( ID: geekpark), author Shen Zhihan, Moonshot, biu, editor Song Desheng.
If Disney does not acquire Pixar, the two companies are likely to be unable to achieve today’s achievements. Especially Disney, without the injection of Pixar’s innovative ability, Disney Animation Studio may go downhill.
After many years, when the two core roles that led to the acquisition deal, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Pixar founder Steve Jobs sat together as personal friends. When reviewing the deal, Steve said, “Look at what we did. We saved two companies.”
The 1990s became the watershed of Disney and Pixar. On the other hand, “Toy Story” turned out to be the world’s $400 million box office, and the other side of Disney has been unable to allow viewers to continue to buy money for the Princess series IP. The internal management turmoil in Disney not only widened the gap, but also pushed Pixar farther and farther. The relationship between the two companies broke down, and Steve even said that he refused to cooperate with Disney again.
In 2005, Eagle, who succeeded the Disney CEO, changed everything. He regained Steve’s trust, and after the collaboration between Disney and Apple, Iger “couraged” to offer Steve an offer to buy Pixar.
$7.4 billion, Disney and Pixar shake hands, Steve joins the Disney board to become the largest shareholder, and the other two founders of Pixar have become managers of Disney Animation Studios. In addition to business, Iger has also become one of Steve’s most trusted friends.
Before Steve died, I named Igle to replace him on the Apple board. Over the years, Disney has become the world’s largest entertainment content company, and Apple has become the world’s largest hardware giant. However, such harmony was broken not long ago. Due to the overweight of the two media, Disney+ and Apple TV+ will inevitably have a short-term connection. Bob Iger also withdrew from Apple’s board of directors.
If Steve is still alive, maybe it will be another ending, Iger wrote in his autobiography, “I believe that if Steve is still alive, we will merge our company, or at least very seriously Discuss this possibility.”
This article was compiled from “We could say say anything to each other”: Bob IgEr remember Steve Jobs, the Pixar drama, and the Apple merger that wasn’t. (http://gpk.im/cbigx), article taken from Bob Iger’s autobiography, “Life’s Journey: Walt Disney Chief Executive The Ride of A Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company (http://gpk.im/3ckef).
Bob Iger New Book The Ride of A Lifetime| Amazon
In January 2006, I and Steve Jobs announced in Emeryville, Calif., that Disney will acquire Pixar. Three months ago, I just became the CEO of Disney, so this acquisition has both huge opportunities and risks for the company and myself. On the same day, our plan was to release the acquisition news after the market closed at 1:00 pm Pacific time, then hold a press conference and hold a plenary meeting with Pixar employees.
After noon, Steve pulled me aside and said, “Let’s go for a walk.” Steve likes to walk for a long time, and often with friends and colleagues, but he proposes to go for a walk at this time. I am surprised and let me wonder if he wants to give up the deal or want to renegotiate the terms of the offer.
I looked at the watch, 12:15. After walking for a while, we went to Pixar’s neatly trimmed grass and sat down on a bench in the middle of the field. Steve put his hand behind me, this gesture is friendly and it makes me surprised. He said, “I want to tell you something, only my wife Lauren and the doctor know.” He asked me to be completely confidential, and then he told me that his cancer had recurred.
“Steve, why are you telling me now?” I asked him. “I will be your biggest shareholder and board member,” he said. “As far as I know, I think you have the right to withdraw from the deal.”
At the time it was 12:30, it was only 30 minutes before we announced that Disney would buy Pixar. I don’t know how to respondStruggling with the things I just told, I asked myself: Whether the information I know now will make me carry disclosure obligations. Steve wants to be completely confidential, so in addition to accepting his offer and giving up a deal that I really want and we need very much, nothing can be done. In the end, I said, “Steve, in another 30 minutes, we are going to announce a $7 billion deal. How can I tell the board that it is time to retreat?” He asked me to push him to him. Then I asked: “What else can I know about this? Maybe I can make a decision for me.”
He told me that cancer is now spreading to the liver and about the chances of fighting cancer. He said that he would support his son Reed in the high school graduation ceremony anyway, I was very upset because he told me that this would be four years later. On the one hand, Steve is facing death, and on the other hand, we should have reached an acquisition agreement within a few minutes. I can’t do both at the same time.
I decided to reject his offer. Even if I accept it, I can’t explain the reason to our board of directors. Before that, the board not only approved the offer, but also endured my request for several months. It’s only 10 minutes away from the press conference. I don’t know if I am doing the right thing, but I quickly realized that although Steve is really important to me, he is not important to the acquisition itself. We walked back to the atrium in silence. That night, I talked to my wife, Willow Bay. Before I knew Steve, Willow had known him for many years. I just became the CEO of Disney, and I haven’t raised a toast to celebrate it. I have to be sorry for Steve’s illness. Whether it’s the news he told me or how he will fight cancer, we are very worried about the future he will face.
Steve and I stood on the pulpit together, it was like a miracle. Before I became the CEO of Disney, the relationship between Disney and Pixar, and Steve was already fragmented.
In the 1990s, Disney and Pixar reached an agreement that Disney would jointly produce, market and distribute Pixar’s films. The first is the successful “Toy Story”, the world’s first fully animated feature film made entirely by computer, representing a powerful innovation and technological leap. It has won nearly $400 million in the global box office. . This was followed by the 1998 Bugs Crisis and the 2001 Monster Power Company. These three movies have more than $1 billion at the global box office. When Disney Animation began to decline, Pixar proved it to be the future of animation. In the next 10 years, Disney released five more Pixar films, including the highly successful “Nemo” and “Superman Agents.”
The world’s first full-length animated feature film “Toy Story” | Video Screenshots
But Steve and Michael Eisner (former Disney CEO) started to fall. Both Pixar and Disney can’t talk about renegotiating the terms of the agreement or extending the relationship. In January 2004, Steve publicly announced that he would never cooperate with Disney anymore.
From a financial and public relations perspective, the end of the partnership with Pixar is a huge blow to Disney. Steve is one of the most respected people in the world. His rejection of Disney and sharp criticism is so loud that as the new CEO of Disney, I just have to do any action to fix this barrier. It will be seen as a major victory in the early days of the job. In addition, Pixar was a leader in the animation industry at the time. Although I was not fully aware of how bad Disney animation was, I knew that any “breaking mirror” partnership would be good for our business. I also know that people who are stubborn like Steve are less likely to be open to certain things. But I have to give it a try.
When I learned that I would replace Michael as the Disney CEO, I called Steve. Although this call does not break the deadlock, we still agree to talk later. Two months later, I showed Steve again. I ended up trying to straighten out the relationship with Pixar in some way, but I couldn’t do it at first. Steve’s hatred of Disney is deeply rooted.
However, I have an irrelevant idea and I think he might be interested. I told him that I am an avid music lover and will store all my music on the iPod, I use it often. I have been thinking about the future of television. I believe that it is sooner or later people watch TV shows and movies on their computers. I don’t know how fast mobile technology is growing (the iPhone still takes two years), so I am imagining the form of an iTunes TV platform called “iTV.” Steve was silent for a while, and finally said: “Let’s talk about this again. I am doing something and I want to show it to you.”
A few weeks later, he flew to Burbank, California. “You can’t tell anyone about this,” he told me. “But the TV show you said is exactly what we have been imagining.” He slowly pulled out a device from his pocket. “This is our new iPod designed for video playback.,”He says. The iPod’s screen is only as large as a few stamps, but when he describes it, it seems to have made it an IMAX theater. “With it, people will not only listen to music on the iPod, but also watch videos.” He said, “If we bring it to market, will you put Disney TV shows on this device?” I immediately agreed.
On September 12, 2006, Jobs introduced the new iPod and iTunes 7 at a press conference and showed off upcoming iTV products | Vision China
Steve responded to my boldness. In the many setbacks he has experienced, he may feel that it is often too difficult to work with Disney. Every agreement needs to be reviewed and analyzed to ensure effectiveness, but he does not. I want him to understand that I don’t work like that. I have the right to call. I am eager to plan the future with him, and it is getting better and better.
In October 2005, five months after our last conversation (two weeks after I officially became CEO of Disney), Steve and I stood together at the Apple conference to announce five Disneys. The series, including two very popular TV series, “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost”, can be downloaded from iTunes and supports the newly released iPod.
The ease of the deal between us and the respect I have expressed for Apple and Apple products have all shocked Steve. He told me that he has never seen anyone in the entertainment industry would like to try. This may break the company’s original business model.
The conversation with Steve in those months began to slowly and temporarily open up a new deal about Pixar. Steve’s attitude has been mild, but only a little bit. He is open to communication, but he is standing on Pixar’s position about any new deal. The reality is that Libra is leaning toward Steve and he has nothing to worry about.
About that time, I had a very radical idea that Disney should buy Pixar.
As the CEO’s first board, I explained to everyone that I wanted to get the Disney animation department back to life. Last century and late 1980s and 90