Dow Jones picks up the Disney comments:
Picture This: Steve Jobs Running Disney
12:46 (Dow Jones) One of the more interesting aspects about the potential Disney (DIS) deal to buy Pixar (PIXR) is that Steve Jobs, who runs PIXR and Apple (AAPL), would become DIS’s largest shareholder. "Might there be succession issues?" Barry Ritholtz asks (http://bigpicture.typepad.com/).
"Recall that when Apple bought NeXT, they got Steve Jobs as a consultant. From that role, he eventually engineered his return as CEO. Will a Disney/Pixar deal give Jobs a springboard to eventually take over running Disney?"
Here’s a fascinating tidbit — this wasan’t a piece of research or commentary emailed out — it was strictly from the blog!
This is a new development in financial media — quoting blogs . . .
While I’m cautious on Apple, more because I believe the digital revolution will leave MP3 players behind…………………
I’d load up on Disney if Jobs were Chairman or CEO. Not sure I see how that could happen but his creativity, Disney’s strong, strong content and his maniacal attention to perfection would possibly transform Disney into one hell of a digital media powerhouse.
I mostly agree with B. But The theme parks might present a problem for Jobs. You start getting too techy in the parks and people might get turned off.
People expect their themepark experience to be a warm earthyesque type thing. I don’t think too many people would appreciate an Apple santitized store feel in the Magic Kingdom.
However, more Pixar related characters and rides might go over very well. Whose to say what could happen with Jobs at the helm of Disney. I hope it would be the best of both tech and entertainment worlds.
As a side note:
Disney implemented a reservation system for popular rides and an unintented consequence was the creatation of a make shift trading floor devoted to the trading of reservation times with other people. It was absoluting fascinating to watch.
Then there was the year passes Disney sold with unlimited entries into the parks without a way of checking who was using the pass or how it was used. Enterprising Orlandians bought the passes and sold entries to visitors to the parks below the one day price. That was a real hoot. One guy I heard made thousands of dollars.
They feel comfortable quoting from your blog because you’ve got credibility. Not true of a lot of the blogosphere.
“Recall that when Apple bought NeXT, they got Steve Jobs as a consultant. From that role, he eventually engineered his return as CEO. Will a Disney/Pixar deal give Jobs a springboard to eventually take over running Disney?”
Really, though, NeXT took over Apple even before Jobs made it official: the upper management of NeXT took the reins of Apple.
If Pixar and Disney merge, and Jobs isn’t made Chairman at the start, watch where John Lasseter and Ed Catmull (and Brad Bird?) go.