Bob Iger Says the Disney Would Have Merged with Apple if Steve Jobs Were Still Alive

In his upcoming new memoir, Bog Iger claims that had it not been for the tragic death of Steve Jobs, Disney may have even merged with Apple, according to Deadline.

What’s Happening:

  • According to Deadline, Bob Iger says that just moments before the completion and announcement of the $7.4 billion dollar acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios is when  he found out that Steve Job’s cancer had returned.
  • This story, among others, is told in Bob Iger’s new memoir, The Ride of A Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, which comes out later this month.
  • In the excerpt, originally appearing in Vanity Fair, Iger tells of a conversation with Steve Jobs which left him stunned with the news moments before the announcement of the Pixar acquisition. Steve Jobs was one of the key players in the success of the animation studio.
  • Iger and Jobs had a close relationship, and they both believed the deal would go through even with Jobs fighting the disease. Iger also mentions that if Jobs had lived, Disney may have even eventually merged with Apple. He also mentions that the relationship between Apple and Disney was frayed before he became the CEO, claiming Jobs had at one point vowed that he would never deal with Disney again.
  • An Apple merger may seem somewhat surprising considering the two are streaming media giants and now rivals, with Iger even resigning from the board at Apple last week to avoid any conflicts of interest.

What They’re Saying:

  • Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company: “I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously.”