December 05, 2003
Cast A Giant Eared Shadow
Robert Musil takes up the rumor that Michael Eisner is going to bring Steve Jobs on board at Disney and decides that while it would be a great move by Eisner, it wouldn't make business sense for Steve Jobs. He thinks it makes more business sense for Jobs to take over Disney, and Bill Palmer describes the top ten changes Jobs would make at Disney.
I'd just like to throw in that I don't think it makes emotional sense for Jobs to take Eisner's side against Roy Disney in the ongoing saga. Consider that Jobs is a founder of a company where he has consistantly fostered (dictated?) creativity and innovation. Jobs was forced out of that company by his handpicked business guy, John "Sugar Water" Scully; afterwards he bought Pixar because "The thought of participating in the production of a classic film such as Snow White, which our grandkids may watch in 30 years, is what's exciting for me." He was able to take his baby, Apple, back over after pursuading everybody's favorite bumbling uncle, Gil Amelio, to buy his other company (NeXt) and take him on as an advisor. Next thing you know, Gil is still sitting in the corner office, but everybody is taking orders from Steve. So I don't think Eisner is going to ask Jobs to sit on the board: he might not be the best visionairy, but he still knows the ins and outs of corporate infighting. And Jobs has to sympathise with Roy Disney, because even though he isn't the founder, he shares not just the name but the founder's vision for what Disney should be. The way Roy Disney was forced out by his handpicked business guy will remind Jobs of how he himself was forced out. Nope, it makes far more emotional sense for Jobs to join Roy's Raiders and try to topple Eisner -- if he get's involved at all.
UPDATE: Brian Tiemann at Peevefarm has his own thoughts about a Jobs take over at Disney
Posted by Kevin Murphy at December 5, 2003 12:22 PM | Current Events
