Likelihood of Steve Jobs becoming Disney CEO

[PeterAlt]

I want to know what you all think the likelihood of Steve Jobs taking over the #1 job at Disney is? Do you think he is already a candidate that Disney's Board may be considering? I know Roy Disney has been posting on his SaveDisney.com website seeming to indicate that Roy at least approves of this idea, but too bad he is no longer part of Disney's Board so that he could cast his vote for him!

If the Board does not seek Steve Jobs to succeed Eisner in two years, consider this. Pixar's contract with Disney would have expired by then. A new Disney CEO, under pressure to renew or extend Pixar's contract with Disney, enters into a fresh round of negotiations with Jobs. These negotiations outright turn into merger discussions, where Jobs agrees to merge Pixar with Disney and remain in charge of Disney's new Pixar subsidiary. Quarterly earnings reports for Disney are released and Disney's profit margins slip far beyond what stock holders feel is comfortable. Disney's Board votes to fire Disney's new CEO. Steve Jobs begins hanging around Disney's CEO office and starts acting as CEO, without anyone disapproving or questioning it. Soon he is officially named "acting CEO".

Also, what is everyone's opinion on Lost? I think this is one series Eisner has his hands all over. It reminds me of some of the series he had his hands all over at ABC in the late 70's, like Fantasy Island and Love Boat. Is there any sign of Eisner's direct involvement concerning Lost?

 

[Woody13]

Steve Jobs ruined Apple and he's been working hard to ruin Pixar.

 

[maelstrom]

Disney and Apple are my two favourite things. Makes sense that they should be run by the same person. I will be the first in line for the new dPod (Disney iPod).

 

[General Grizz]

Disney and Pixar are *my* favorite things. . .

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

Steve Jobs ruined Apple and he's been working hard to ruin Pixar.

HU? I find it difficult to believe that the man incharge of Nemo and the Incredibles is on its way to ruin Pixar..

 

[cherrynegra]

HU? I find it difficult to believe that the man incharge of Nemo and the Incredibles is on its way to ruin Pixar..

Agreed. I don't know what he's talking about. Especially since they just turned in booming quarter results. And last I checked, Pixar was doing great. :veryconfu

 

[Shaman]

I don't think Jobs would make a good Disney CEO...he resembles Eisner...Pixar is doing great and Jobs seems to have more vision than Eisner, but I think their business philosohies aren't too far apart...there's a big difference between running Apple, Pixar and running The Walt Disney Company...Jobs is better than Eisner...but there have to be better people out there....

 

[Testtrack321]

Steve Jobs ruined Apple and he's been working hard to ruin Pixar.

Yeah, I know. Especially how their iPod dosn't sell any, their computers are rehashes of Dell, and their stock price isn't even above $10. *end sarcasm*

Guys, Steve practically saved Apple. It's Scully and Gill that ruined it. Apple's stock is $50 a share, they are showing no signs of slowing down, and Pixar is doing great.

I think Steve would be great, but I don't think he should do it. He already runs two companies that takes up a majority of his time (he meets half the day a week with their retail design people). I don't think Apple or Disney are that different (trying to produce imaginative products) but I think he should stick to what he has now.

 

[Woody13]

The point about Apple is that at one time they had the opportunity to rule the PC market. The Apple II and the Apple IIe were way ahead of all other computers and with the advent of the Lisa and then the Mac, Apple could have controlled the industry, except for one thing. Steve Jobs wanted to keep everything in house with Apple, both hardware and software and he refused to license his product. Therefore, no one but Apple could make an Apple computer.

IBM, on the other hand, opened up the architecture of its machines and let other companies build PC's. At that time, the IBM PC was inferior to the Apple machines but as a direct result of allowing other companies to build and improve upon the computers, the PC evolved rapidly, dramatically improved in quality and the price dropped. The IBM PC now controls 97% of the home and business market.

In short, Steve Jobs had the chance to make the Apple have that 97% market share, but because he kept everything in house, he and Apple were left in the dust. Unfortunately, I see the same scenario playing out at Pixar right now. Pixar is at its zenith and now is the best time for Pixar to expand upon and improve their relationship with Disney. Pixar is a winner, but they need the movie distribution and marketing muscle of Disney to build upon. When Jobs walked away from talks with Disney last January, I thought that Sony or another big studio would jump on the chance to make a deal with Pixar. However, to this day Pixar has been unable to strike a deal with anyone.

Is this going to be a repeat of the Apple deal? Is Jobs going to refuse to cut a deal with any other studio and instead decide to go it alone? So far, its looking that way. And if Jobs decides to market and distribute Pixar films in house, the company will suffer. I hope he doesn't go that route but history tells us differently.

 

[Testtrack321]

The point about Apple is that at one time they had the opportunity to rule the PC market. The Apple II and the Apple IIe were way ahead of all other computers and with the advent of the Lisa and then the Mac, Apple could have controlled the industry, except for one thing. Steve Jobs wanted to keep everything in house with Apple, both hardware and software and he refused to license his product. Therefore, no one but Apple could make an Apple computer.

IBM, on the other hand, opened up the architecture of its machines and let other companies build PC's. At that time, the IBM PC was inferior to the Apple machines but as a direct result of allowing other companies to build and improve upon the computers, the PC evolved rapidly, dramatically improved in quality and the price dropped. The IBM PC now controls 97% of the home and business market.

In short, Steve Jobs had the chance to make the Apple have that 97% market share, but because he kept everything in house, he and Apple were left in the dust. Unfortunately, I see the same scenario playing out at Pixar right now. Pixar is at its zenith and now is the best time for Pixar to expand upon and improve their relationship with Disney. Pixar is a winner, but they need the movie distribution and marketing muscle of Disney to build upon. When Jobs walked away from talks with Disney last January, I thought that Sony or another big studio would jump on the chance to make a deal with Pixar. However, to this day Pixar has been unable to strike a deal with anyone.

Is this going to be a repeat of the Apple deal? Is Jobs going to refuse to cut a deal with any other studio and instead decide to go it alone? So far, its looking that way. And if Jobs decides to market and distribute Pixar films in house, the company will suffer. I hope he doesn't go that route but history tells us differently.

IBM never made their components open. It was HP that hacked their way in and created copy cat boxes. As for Apple, Steve had no power when decisions like that were being made, it was all John Sculley from Pepsi. He refused to license out the OS and also gave Microsoft the use for the GUI for Windows 1.0.

Brush up on your history... http://apple-history.com/frames/body.php?page=history&section=h1

 

[PeterAlt]

I don't think Jobs would make a good Disney CEO...he resembles Eisner...Pixar is doing great and Jobs seems to have more vision than Eisner, but I think their business philosohies aren't too far apart...

Whats wrong with that? You are forgetting that Eisner's philosphies DID work, but have been bogged down in recent years due to things like Frank Wells dying, etc. The bottom line is that the sheer size of the company that Disney has become has made Eisner tired and overwelmed and his retirement is very much in order. So, I believe that Jobs will do for Disney what the Eisner TEAM (including Wells and Katzenberg, etc.) did in the late 80's.

If Jobs could bring to Disney the quality of Pixar to the rest of the movie division, ABC, and the theme parks, then he will do great at Disney. My only concern is if he could handle the gigantic size of the company Disney has become, add on top of that his responsibilities at Apple (IMO, he would have to resign from Apple).