For many months, we’ve heard rumors swirling that the tech giant, Apple, will buy the Walt Disney Company. Obviously, when it comes to a sale this big, we have heard nothing official from either party, however, there’s a real chance this may come to pass, and this comes from Bob Iger himself.
Related: EXPERTS: Tech Giant Likely to Buy Disney in Next Three Years
Disney & Apple
The relationship between the Walt Disney Company and Apple goes back to Pixar and the deal that changed the future of animation. When Disney bought Pixar, they were trying to give their own Disney Animation Studios a lifeline, and acquiring Pixar did so, and how. Disney buying Pixar merged the two powerhouses giving us one of the most significant animation properties today.
That deal was also one of the defining factors of the late founder of Apple, Steve Jobs’s, relationship with current Disney CEO Bob Iger. In his book, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger details how he went about the deal and won Steve Jobs’s respect and friendship. It’s one that both parties reportedly cherished, to the point that Iger even compared himself to the late tech maven.
The relationship has also developed further with Apple’s latest product, Vision Pro, and its incorporation of Disney+.
So Will Apple Buy Disney?
Analysts over at Needham believe it’s inevitable. Needham analyst Laura Martin even went so far as to say it would happen in the next three years. But it’s important to note that any word on this would be speculation at best.
However, there is one person’s word which is worth more than all of ours put together, and that is Disney CEO Bob Iger, and there was a time when he thought it was likely to happen.
In his book, Iger shares, “I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously.”
Granted, one sentence in a book from 2019 is not a lot of evidence, if at all; however, Bob Iger is a man who is careful with his words; one has to be if he is the CEO of one of the world’s largest entertainment conglomerates. Mentioning it in passing as a possibility nails down the idea that this well and truly could happen.
Nothing is certain, that is given. But considering the close relationship Apple and Disney share, and the closer relationship Bob Iger developed with Steve Jobs, perhaps this merger or acquisition (however it turns out) isn’t as far-fetched as one might believe.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiments of Disney Fanatic.
