Credit: Inside the MagicFormer Disney CEO Bob Chapek and current CEO Bob Iger have presided over some of the most turbulent, controversy-filled years of the iconic company, but it turns out they had their own internal battle: who gets the shower?
Bob Chapek stepped down from his position as head of the Walt Disney Company after what he reportedly described as “three years of hell.” Said hell included falling corporate profits, pressure from workers to come out against a Florida anti-LGBTQIA+ law, and the anger of Governor Ron DeSantis after Chapek eventually did cave to pressure.
Bob Iger came out of retirement to replace Chapek (who, ironically, had succeeded him in the first place), only to encounter his own issues. We’ll get to those in a minute, but first: the shower.
Related: Bob Iger and Bob Chapek Named in New Disney+ Lawsuit
Two Different Disney CEOs
According to a bombshell report from CNBC, after Bob Iger announced he was stepping down in favor of his handpicked successor, Disney Parks chairman, there was an expectation that he would, naturally, be moving out of his luxurious corporate office in Burbank.
However, it seems that the transfer of power at Disney to Bob Chapek from Bob Iger would not go as smoothly as that.
Apparently, Iger was very attached to the office, with the report saying, “There was a practical reason Iger didn’t want to move out of his office. It had a private shower, built for former CEO Michael Eisner, and a vanity for shaving. Iger, now 72, consistently woke up around 4:15 a.m. to work out and then shower. On evenings when Iger was heading out for a Disney premiere, award show or benefit, he would often take a second shower — this time in the office.”
It continues, “Iger told Chapek that he lived for those ‘two-shower days,’ according to people familiar with the conversation.”
Although Chapek reportedly made fairly minimal pushback against his predecessor demanding that he retain what was the de facto office of the CEO, Iger’s insistence that he be able to keep the trappings of leadership even after leaving his job is very telling.
Disney, Chapek, Iger, Disaster
Bob Iger was brought back to preside over Disney in November 2o22, presumably with hopes that he would stabilize the House of Mouse, instead of trying to sell the company to Apple.
Related: “Tone Deaf” Bob Iger Becomes the New Chapek
Instead, the company is in two different lawsuits with the Governor of Florida, box office grosses are dwindling, people are angry about Snow White and/or the Seven Dwarves, Marvel fatigue has set in, and Iger himself cannot seem to stop making inflammatory statements in public, such as writers wanting fair pay are “unrealistic” and that the Disney Channel is a broken model of business.
It is not surprising that the Walt Disney Company is floundering when the Disney CEO are more concerned with making $45 million in a year and whether or not they get to take two showers in a day than righting the ship.
What do you think of Bob Iger’s demands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!