Bob Iger was CEO of The Walt Disney Company when Disney acquired Pixar in 2006.
Iger became Disney’s chief executive in September 2005, succeeding Michael Eisner. One of his earliest major strategic moves was negotiating the all-stock Pixar acquisition, announced on January 24, 2006, and completed on May 5 that year. The deal was valued at about $7.4 billion before accounting for Pixar’s cash.
The acquisition reunited Disney with the studio behind Toy Story, after an earlier distribution partnership had produced several successful films. Pixar’s Steve Jobs joined Disney’s board, while Ed Catmull and John Lasseter took important leadership roles in the combined animation operation.
A common mix-up is choosing Steve Jobs, who was Pixar’s chairman and CEO, rather than Disney’s CEO. Michael Eisner led Disney during the earlier Pixar-distribution era, but Iger was in charge when the acquisition occurred. Iger later oversaw Disney’s purchases of Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox.