Bob Iger | |
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.jpg) Iger in 2022 | |
| Born | Robert Alan Iger (1951-02-10)February 10, 1951 (age 74) New York City, US |
| Education | Ithaca College (BS) |
| Title | CEO ofThe Walt Disney Company (2005–2020, 2022–present) |
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| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Jerry Iger (great-uncle)[1] |
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Robert Alan Iger (/ˈaɪɡər/; born February 10, 1951)[2] is an Americanmedia executive who is chief executive officer (CEO) ofthe Walt Disney Company.[3] He previously was the president of theAmerican Broadcasting Company (ABC) between 1994 and 1995 and president and chief operating officer (COO) ofCapital Cities/ABC, from 1995 until its acquisition by Disney in 1996. Iger was named president of Disney in 2000 and succeededMichael Eisner as CEO in 2005, until his contract expired in 2020. He then was executive chairman until his formal retirement from the company on December 31, 2021. At the request of Disney's board of directors, Iger returned to Disney as CEO on November 20, 2022, following the dismissal of his appointed successor,Bob Chapek.[4] In July 2023, Disney renewed Iger's contract until 2026.
Considered a highly effective and visionary media executive, Iger was able to broaden Disney's roster ofintellectual properties, expanded its presence in international markets, and oversaw an increase of the company'smarket capitalization from $56 billion to $231 billion during his initial 15-year stewardship of the company.[5] He led the major acquisitions ofPixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion,Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4 billion,Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.06 billion, andthe entertainment assets of21st Century Fox in 2019 for $71.3 billion. Iger also expanded the company'stheme park resorts presence in East Asia, with the introduction ofHong Kong Disneyland Resort andShanghai Disney Resort in 2005 and 2016, respectively. He was a driving force behind the reinvigoration ofWalt Disney Animation Studios, the branded-release strategy ofits film studio's output, and the company's increased investment in itsdirect-to-consumer businesses, includingDisney+ andHulu.
Robert Alan Iger was born to anAustrian-Jewish family in New York City.[3][2][6][7] He is the oldest son of Miriam "Mimi" (née Tunick) (1927–2013) and Arthur L. Iger (1926–2010).[8][9] His father was aWorld War II Navy veteran[10] who was the executive vice president and general manager of the Greenvale Marketing Corporation, and was also a professor of advertising and public relations.[11][8][10] His mother worked at Boardman Junior High School inOceanside, New York.[12][13] Iger's paternal grandfather, Joe, was cartoonistJerry Iger's brother.[1] He was raised in Oceanside, where he attended the Fulton Avenue School and graduated fromOceanside High School in 1969.[14][15] In 1973, he graduatedmagna cum laude from the School of Communications atIthaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Radio.[16]
Iger began his media career in 1972 as the host ofCampus Probe, an Ithaca College television show. He dreamed of becoming anews anchor while he worked as aweatherman in Ithaca for five months, before shifting his career goals.[17][18]
In 1974, Iger joined theAmerican Broadcasting Company (ABC).[19][20] His first job was performing menial labor on television sets for $150 a week (over $700, adjusted for inflation).[10] In 1988, Iger was the senior program executive for theCalgary Winter Olympics. The event was marred by disruptive weather and delayed events, and to fill the broadcast schedule Iger's team focused on human interest stories such as those of theJamaican bobsled team andEddie the Eagle. The event achieved record-high ratings for ABC, and Iger's performance under pressure caught the attention of ABC executivesDaniel Burke andThomas Murphy, who subsequently championed Iger throughout his ascent at ABC.[21]
In 1989, Iger was named head ofABC Entertainment and green lighting several shows, such asTwin Peaks,America's Funniest Home Videos,[22] andCop Rock.[23][24] He was president of the ABC Network Television Group from January 1993 to 1994, and was appointed asCapital Cities/ABC senior vice president in March 1993 and executive vice president in July 1993.[25] In 1994, Iger was named president and chief operating officer of ABC's corporate parent, Capital Cities/ABC.[26]
In 1995,[27] the Walt Disney Company purchased Capital Cities/ABC and renamed itABC, Inc., where Iger remained chairman until 1999.[28][2] On February 25, 1999, Disney named Iger the president of Walt Disney International, the business unit that oversees Disney's international operations, as well as chairman of theABC Group, removing him from day-to-day authority at ABC. Disney called the change a promotion for Iger.[29] Disney named Iger the president and chief operating officer (COO) on January 24, 2000, making him Disney's No. 2 executive under chairman and CEO,Michael Eisner. Disney had been without a separate president since Eisner assumed the role following the departure ofMichael Ovitz in 1997, after sixteen months at Disney.[30] In 2003, board membersRoy E. Disney andStanley Gold began a campaign called "save Disney" against Eisner.[31][32] As a result, Disney began a search for the next CEO to replace Eisner. On March 13, 2005, Disney announced that Iger would succeed Michael Eisner as CEO, and Iger was placed in charge of day-to-day operations, though Eisner held the title of CEO until he resigned on September 30, 2005.[33] In July 2005, Disney and Gold dropped the campaign and agreed to work with Iger.[34]
One of Iger's first major decisions as CEO was to reassign Disney's chief strategic officer,Peter Murphy, and disband the company'sStrategic Planning division.[35] It was around this time Iger started to become known as "Bob" rather than "Robert". On January 24, 2006, under Iger's leadership, Disney announced it would acquirePixar for $7.4 billion in an all-stock transaction.[36] In the same year, Iger also re-acquired the rights toWalt Disney's first star,Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, fromNBCUniversal by releasing sportscasterAl Michaels fromABC Sports toNBC Sports.[37] In August 2009, Iger negotiated for Disney to acquireMarvel Entertainment and its associated assets for $4 billion. By 2014, Disney had grossed more than that amount at the box office through theMarvel movies.[38] On October 7, 2011, Disney announced that Iger would become chairman of the board followingJohn Pepper's retirement from the board in March 2012.[39] In October 2012, Iger signed a deal with filmmakerGeorge Lucas to purchaseLucasfilm for $4 billion. As a result, Disney acquired the rights to theStar Wars multimedia franchise andIndiana Jones.[40] In March 2016, Iger announced the opening of the $5.5 billionShanghai Disney Resort later that year.[41]
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Iger's contract as Disney's chairman and CEO was originally planned to run until June 30, 2018.[42][43] In March 2017, Disney extended Iger's term to July 2, 2019, and said he would be a consultant for the following three years.[44][45] In December 2017, Disney extended Iger's contract through 2021.[46] In July 2018, Disney and21st Century Fox shareholders approved a deal to allowDisney to purchase Fox assets.[47] The deal was finalized in March 2019.[48] In April 2019, it was announced that Iger would depart from his position as CEO and chairman of Disney when his contract expired in 2021.[49][50] Iger resigned from Apple's board of directors on September 10, 2019, to avoid aconflict of interest as Disney and Apple prepared to launch competing streaming servicesDisney+ andApple TV+.[51][52] In September 2019, Iger released his memoirThe Ride of a Lifetime.[53][10]
In 2020, Iger announced his intention to retire. On February 25, the board of directors namedBob Chapek – then-chairman ofDisney Parks, Experiences and Products – the new chief executive, while appointing Igerexecutive chairman (an ad hoc post) to oversee the transition.[54][55] In April, the board unexpectedly extended Iger's mandate until the end of 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[56][57] On December 31, 2021, Iger stepped down and was succeeded bySusan Arnold as chair of the board.[58] On November 20, 2022, Chapek was ousted by the Disney board with Iger reinstated as CEO.[59] At the time of his rejoining Disney, Iger initially agreed to hold the post for two years while looking for a successor.[60][61] On July 12, 2023, Iger and Disney extended the contract until the end of 2026.[62][63] Iger's 2023 pay package included a base salary of $865,385, stock awards of $16.1 million, $10 million in stock option awards, $2.1 million in performance-based compensation, and $2.48 million in other compensation, leading to a total pay award of $31.6 million according to Disney's annual proxy statement. During Iger's second tenure, Disney's share price has remained substantially below record heights in 2021 under Chapek, despite streaming becoming profitable and strong theme park performance.[64] Disney's share price has increased just 22% under Iger's second tenure versus 68% for theS&P 500.[65]
On November 15, 2011,Apple Inc., led by CEOTim Cook, named Iger to its board of directors. Iger was reportedly responsible for makingSteve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder after its all-stock acquisition of Jobs' Pixar.[66] In September 2019, Iger resigned from his position on the board after Apple announced the pricing and release date ofApple TV+, a subscription streaming service which would compete with Disney+ upon its launch in November 2021.[67]
In October 2020, Iger became a director of the dairy-replacement startupPerfect Day.[68][69] Iger joined the board ofGenies, Inc. in March 2022.[70] In July 2024, Iger and his wife,Willow Bay, agreed to take a majority stake inAngel City FC, a Los Angeles-basedNational Women's Soccer League team, with a $100 million investment. To avoid any conflicts of interest, Iger agreed to recuse himself from all Disney and ESPN business matters related to the women's soccer league.[71]
Iger has been married twice. His first marriage to Kathleen Susan Iger ended in divorce.[72] They have two daughters. In 1995, Iger married journalistWillow Bay in an interfaith Jewish andRoman Catholic service inBridgehampton, New York.[73] According toForbes, Iger's estimated net worth is over $700 million in 2024.[74]
Iger has described himself as a centrist. He previously identified with theDemocratic Party.[75] In 2016, Iger switched his party registration from Democratic toindependent.[76] In May 2016, during a dispute overDisney Resort's low wages, Iger wrote in a Facebook post claiming that Disney had hired 11,000 new employees in the past decade at Disneyland, and 18,000 in the past five years in the US. Iger specifically targeted US Senator from VermontBernie Sanders, who had been outspoken on the issue.[77] Disney settled with theUS Department of Labor and agreed to pay back wages the following year.[78]
Iger co-chaired a fundraiser for theHillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign on August 22, 2016.[79] He was named toPresident-electTrump'sStrategic and Policy Forum on December 2, 2016.[80] He resigned from the Forum on June 1, 2017, out of protest after President Trump withdrew the United States from theParis Climate Agreement.[81] Iger had considered running for president before and after the2016 U.S. presidential election as a Democrat, but ultimately decided against it.[82]
In December 2019, Iger was named byTime as their Businessperson of the Year.[83] In 2020, he was inducted into theTelevision Hall of Fame.[84] InSeptember 2022, Iger was appointed anHonorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) byQueen Elizabeth II "for services to the UK/US relations".[85][86] In October 2024, Iger was awarded with the title ofChevalier de la Legion d'honneur by French presidentEmmanuel Macron for his service to the country of France.[87]
In November 2017,Variety reported that Iger knew about a 2010 Oscar party where Pixar chiefJohn Lasseter was seen "making out with a junior staffer", seeming to confirm anonymous allegations that Lasseter's inappropriate interactions with young women had been known to company leadership since the 1990s. One anonymous source was quoted as saying, "I know personally that Bob was aware. ... Everybody was aware. They just didn't do anything about it."[88]
In August 2019,Vanity Fair reported that actressPaz de la Huerta added Iger to her lawsuit againstHarvey Weinstein over allegations of rape, claiming that he and previous CEOMichael Eisner "made a series of decisions that allowed a range of actions by Harvey Weinstein that unacceptably harmed certain employees".[89] Disney denied any knowledge of misconduct or settlements with victims during Weinstein's run atMiramax from 1993 to 2005.[88]
During a July 2023 interview onCNBC, Iger criticized theWGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as "not realistic". He added that the unions "are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive."[90] Iger's comments were widely criticized both inside and outside of Hollywood for being elitist and out of touch, withHuffPost writer Marina Fang noting Iger's $27 million annual salary that he received when rejoining Disney.[90]
In December 2024, Iger approved a $16 million settlement withDonald Trump, who had just won the2024 U.S. presidential election, over a lawsuit that Trump had filed againstABC News.[91] Critics saw Iger's surrender to Trump as a dangerous precedent and threat to free speech in the United States.[92]
On September 17 through September 22, 2025, Iger was concurrent head of Disney when Disney-owned ABCindefinitely suspendedJimmy Kimmel Live! following pressure by thesecond Trump administration and right-wing media to punishJimmy Kimmel, for claimingMAGA was trying to cover up that the killer ofCharlie Kirk was a Republican.[93][94] According toThe Hollywood Reporter, Iger made the decision to suspend Kimmel jointly withDana Walden.[95]Michael Eisner, Iger's predecessor as CEO of Disney, condemned Iger publicly onTwitter, saying, "Where has all the leadership gone?" and "Maybethe Constitution should have said, ‘Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, except in one’s political or financial self-interest’".[96][97] Kimmel was later allowed to return to the air.[92]
| Business positions | ||
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| Preceded by Brandon Stoddard | President ofABC Entertainment 1989–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Vacant (PreviouslyMichael Ovitz) | President ofthe Walt Disney Company 2000–2012 | Succeeded by Vacant |
| Preceded by | CEO of the Walt Disney Company 2005–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | CEO of the Walt Disney Company 2022– | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Walt Disney Company 2012–2021 | Succeeded by |
| New title | Executive chairman of the Walt Disney Company 2020–2021 | Vacant |
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