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Tara Lachapelle

Disney Ties Iger Pay and Legacy to Messy Fox Deal

The CEO faces his biggest challenge at the twilight of his career.

His money is where his merger is. — His money is where his merger is.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

By

Tara Lachapelle

December 4, 2018, 4:10 PM UTC

Walt Disney Co. needs to look like the Magic Kingdom again if Bob Iger wants to get paid like a king.

Earlier this year, Disney shareholders balked at an exorbitant pay package that was awarded to the CEO amid the stock’s middling performance. While the vote was symbolic, it was the first time shareholders objected to Iger’s compensation plan since federal regulators enacted the “say on pay” measure in 2011. It was a meaningful statement given that Iger, 67, is one of America’s most admired corporate leaders; only a tiny universe of S&P 500 companies lose such votes each year.