Disney CEO Bob Iger was called an “assassin” by his former Mouse House boss Bob Chapek, who reportedly complained that Iger had undermined him early on in his disastrous three-year tenure as CEO, and that his wife had accused Iger of being “a lapdog.”
“I can't stand another two years of this,” Chapek told aides just weeks after being named CEO in early 2020, saying Iger “is not going to leave” and “will be there until the day I die.” The New York Times Reported over the weekend
Arthur Bochner, Mr. Chapek's former chief of staff, was quoted as saying that his sixth-floor office at Disney's headquarters in Burbank, California, was a “den of snakes.”
Chapek's term as CEO came to an abrupt end in 2022 after his mentor attempted a board coup.
Chapek reportedly found himself in a difficult position shortly after being promoted to CEO, especially since Iger, who stepped down as CEO just before the COVID-19 pandemic, had been asked to stay on as “creative director” and chairman of the board.
According to the New York Times, Iger holds more than $100 million in outstanding Disney stock options and wanted to preserve their value, so he planned to hand over the more day-to-day running of the business to Chapek while retaining overall creative control over the company.
But Iger wanted to report directly to Chapek, and Disney's board rejected the idea, citing company policy that a CEO must report directly to the board. In the end, an uneasy compromise was worked out in which Chapek was told he would have to report to both Iger and the board.
An announcement was made quickly afterward, with Disney revealing that Chapek was the company's new CEO and Iger had been named chairman of the board, in a “sudden shake-up that shocked and confused Hollywood,” according to the report.
“Paul McCartney, a close friend of Mr Iger's, called Mr Iger to ask if he was feeling unwell,” the report said.
Chapek, meanwhile, quickly realized that Iger remained his de facto boss: He was reportedly infuriated when Iger didn't include him in discussions with California Governor Gavin Newsom about keeping Disneyland open during the pandemic.
Iger also overruled Chapek's decision to furlough more than 90,000 theme park employees early in the pandemic when governments imposed restrictions on public gatherings in response to the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the New York Times, Chapek's wife told him he was nothing more than Iger's “dog” because he was powerless within the company.
Chapek was reportedly infuriated when then-Times columnist Ben Smith published an article detailing how Iger had “reasserted control” over the company.
Chapek believed Iger had leaked details to Smith and confronted the man he described in the column as the “nominal new CEO” by phone, telling him, “You swept me off my feet.”
“I've never felt so bad in my life.”
Iger, meanwhile, told several people he had never been treated so disrespectfully in his life, the paper reported. The call effectively severed ties between Iger and the CEO, the paper reported.
Chapek also made several reported gaffes that angered directors.
Oracle CEO Safra Katz, who recently stepped down from Disney's board of directors, reportedly threatened to fire Chapek if Disney went ahead with the release of “Strange World,” an animated film featuring an openly gay teenager.
Chapek also came under fire from major Disney shareholders, including Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Disney co-founder Roy Disney, for refusing to sign a petition by the LGBTQ lobbying group Human Rights Campaign opposing controversial gender identity bills in several states.
When Disney employees lobbied Chapek to reverse course, the CEO agreed and condemned Florida's so-called “don't say gay” law, which bans teaching sexual and gender identity to elementary school students.
But according to The New York Times, Disney executives believed Chapek had gone too far in the other direction, pitting the company against Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.
Disney's shares have plummeted due to huge losses in its streaming business and a slow recovery in its theme park division, raising questions about Chapek's management skills.
Iger was eventually reappointed as CEO last year.
The Washington Post has reached out to Chapek, Disney and Oracle for comment.
