Inside Disney’s Succession Struggle and Bob Iger’s Return to Power - The New York Times

The inside story of how Bob Iger undermined and outmaneuvered Bob Chapek, his chosen successor, and returned to power at Disney. Credit... Philip Cheung for The New York Times Supported by By James B. Stewart and Brooks Barnes At 5 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2020, Bob Chapek and Bob Iger settled into matching directors’ chairs on the Disney studio lot for a series of live media interviews. The company had just shocked pretty much everybody by announcing that the little-known Mr. Chapek would be replacing the wildly popular Mr. Iger as chief executive. The bald and stocky Mr. Chapek and the graying but still debonair Mr. Iger struck an immediate contrast, even though both were dressed in navy suits and open-collar white shirts and both were named Bob. To avoid confusion, some referred to them as “Bob One” and “Bob Two,” or “Big Bob” and “Little Bob” (even though Mr. Chapek was taller and heavier). And then there was “Handsome Bob” and “Boring Bob.” In an interview with Julia Boorstin of CNBC, Mr.

The inside story of how Bob Iger undermined and outmaneuvered Bob Chapek, his chosen successor, and returned to power at Disney. Credit... Philip Cheung for The New York Times Supported by By James B. Stewart and Brooks Barnes At 5 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2020, Bob Chapek and Bob Iger settled into matching directors’ chairs on the Disney studio lot for a series of live media interviews. The company had just shocked pretty much everybody by announcing that the little-known Mr. Chapek would be replacing the wildly popular Mr. Iger as chief executive. The bald and stocky Mr. Chapek and the graying but s