Bob Iger’s presidential ambitions and Disney’s future
A potential presidential run
For years, whispers of Bob Iger launching a bid for the U.S. presidency have circulated, with even high-profile figures like Oprah Winfrey publicly supporting the idea. Iger himself has admitted to contemplating a run for the highest office in America. Recently, he disclosed that a prominent Democratic party member once encouraged him to consider it.
“He said to me, ‘You should run for president,’ and I asked, ‘Tell me why?'” Iger recounted on a podcast episode of “Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa” on SiriusXM. “His first words were, ‘Well, you really look the part.’ I said, ‘Give me a break. That’s not enough.'”
While Iger didn’t reveal who made the remark, he clarified it wasn’t Bill Clinton. “I’ve never discussed running for president with Bill Clinton,” he stated.
Family support and personal reflections
When asked by Kelly Ripa if his wife, Willow Bay, supported the idea of him running for president, Iger responded candidly. “I would say ‘on board’ would be a bit of an overstatement,” he said, before Ripa interjected, “Not threatening divorce?” Iger humorously replied, “No… She said, ‘When I married you, I gave you my vows, for better or for worse. For whatever richer or for poorer. I guess it would’ve become poorer.'”
He continued, “It was along the lines of, ‘Look, I married you and I owe it to you to support your various endeavors and dreams,’ and while she wasn’t fully supportive, she wasn’t going to fight me.”
The quest for a successor
Iger emphasized that finding a successor as Disney CEO is a top priority. After stepping down in early 2020 and returning in November 2022 following Bob Chapek’s ouster, Iger’s contract now runs through the end of 2026.
“I think about [CEO succession] all the time. I could say that I’m obsessed with it, and that would be an understatement,” Iger said. “The board and I established that it would be among our biggest priorities. I want to retire again and leave the company in great hands.”
The Disney board is reportedly considering internal candidates, including Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Josh D’Amaro, head of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products.
A personal connection to the Beatles
Iger shared a memorable experience involving the Beatles’ “Get Back” documentary, directed by Peter Jackson, for which Disney acquired streaming rights.
“We had a screening at my house, and Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney came along with Olivia Harrison, George Harrison’s wife. We had dinner after watching a few hours of it, and I had to give a toast. I looked around the table and saw Ringo and Paul. In 1964, the Beatles came to the United States, and I was 13 years old. That was it for me, and there they were in my house.”
Iger added, “My toast was, ‘In my life, I’ve had many pinch-me moments, and I try never to take them for granted. Tonight is a real pinch-me moment for me.’ Paul or Ringo, I can’t remember which, got up and said, ‘This is a pinch-me moment for us too, interestingly enough. All of us together, watching that.'”
Honored by the Queen
Iger also recounted being one of the last individuals selected for knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II before her passing.
“In June 2022, I got a call from Buckingham Palace telling me I was being named an honorary Knight of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth, along with John Williams. After the queen died in September, I wondered, ‘Well, there goes my knighthood.'”
The ceremony eventually took place last month at Windsor Castle. When Ripa asked, “Wait, so are you ‘Sir Bob Iger’?” he clarified that he isn’t because his designation is as an honorary Knight of the British Empire. Ripa quipped, “But I’m still gonna call you ‘Sir Bob.'”
Listen to the full episode
For those interested in hearing more from Bob Iger, you can listen to the full episode of “Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa” on SiriusXM.
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