I still tried to do the right thing at every turn. Even when it came to honoring the man who was apparently actively sabotaging me.
Despite the ongoing sniping and undermining he did through media outlets about my time as CEO, when it came time for Iger to officially retire from the board, I knew his legacy should be commemorated.
This was not a happy time for Iger . Because of his own feelings about the company and his place in it, he was having an incredibly difficult time with the idea of moving on. As we prepared for his final meeting on the board of directors, he said he didn’t want any farewell gestures or gifts. Part of that, I think, was to perpetuate the image of humility, but in reality I know he was upset. During the meeting he sat quietly, mostly withdrawn.
Everyone close to Iger knew that he was building himself a sailing yacht. When you commission a new boat, it is tradition to take a gold coin and before they implant the massive mast into the hull, you place it into the bottom of the well that the mast goes into, which will never be removed, in a ceremony known as “mast-stepping.”
So, as his parting gift, I had commissioned a gold Disney coin that he could use in the bottom of his new ship’s hull.
I thought it was personal to him, because he built this boat from scratch.
As unhappy as Iger had been in that meeting, when I presented him with the coin, I could tell he was genuinely moved. His eyes, previously hard and distant, softened immediately. He smiled, and for a brief moment, I think he had to reconcile the way he had been treating me during my time as CEO with the way I was treating him.
He thanked me for the coin, and we enjoyed a genuine moment of human connection.
Other than a casual handshake in Sun Valley later that year, that was the last time I ever spoke to him.
After that moment passed, I went back to running the company, and I believe he went back to trying to get me fired.
He would, of course, eventually succeed.
Despite how horrible everything was, my deepest concern was for my family and the reputation I had worked so hard to build. My abrupt dismissal hurt my reputation, leaving those close to me, outsiders, and some within the kingdom trying to figure out what I did wrong.
The answer, again, is nothing. I have tried to live my life to leave an impeccable personal legacy. If I ran for political office—which I have no plans to, by the way—no one would find any scandals. I have been devoted to my wife, raised my children well, and treated my employees fairly.
With my company communication so cleverly shut down right away, the press was left to piece together a narrative or simply accept Disney’s storyline.
