Disney and Steve Jobs

OK let me be one of the first to start the campaign: Steve Jobs should take over running Disney. He has just sold Pixar, his animation company, to Disney for the princely sum of $7.4 billion, which is a pretty good gain because he bought the then failing Pixar from George Lucas for only $5 million [plus a subsequent $5 million cash injection]. Since then under Jobs leadership Pixar has become a movie powerhouse and has eaten Disney’s proverbial lunch. The latter’s animation studio has floundered the past few years while others, and especially Pixar, have ridden the technology boom to the top. Michael Eisner, the recently departed ex-CEO of Disney, completely failed to maintain the creative heritage at Disney. He was ousted after an ugly boardroom fight and succeed by the rather dull Robert Iger who looks to me like a temporary ‘filler’ until Steve Jobs decides whether he wants the job himself. Of course he does. He’s the most creative CEO in America and Disney would do itself a power of good to let him take over. His record at both Pixar and Apple is more than ample evidence of his ability. So: Go for It Steve! I like the idea.