Apple-Disney Merger: Concrete Negotiations Took Place, Reveals Bob Iger Leaving Disney

Apple and Disney didn't just imagine a merger: they actually discussed it. This is stated by Bob Iger, who exited the leadership of Disney in early 2026, in a lengthy interview with the Financial Times.

Iger recounted that the possibility of uniting the two companies was discussed not only in the hallways of Burbank but also with the counterpart in Cupertino. The point, however, is how it ended: Apple did not show real interest.

The former CEO of Disney thus confirms that there were some conversations with Apple, but nothing materialized because Apple did not express much interest. This is a step beyond what Iger had implied in his 2019 memoir, The Ride of a Lifetime, where he suggested that if Steve Jobs had still been alive, the two companies would have merged, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously. At that time, it remained a matter of regret; today, Iger admits that there was indeed a concrete dialogue with Apple.

Iger was a board member of Apple and was a close friend of Steve Jobs, with whom he orchestrated the sale of Pixar to Disney in 2006. Hence, the belief that such a deal would have been, in his words, "truly transformative and on equal footing": not the absorption of one group into another, but a true merger among equals. A formula indicating how ambitious the idea was, and how far it remained from materializing.

Not the Only Missed Deal

The revelation about Apple comes within a broader assessment of the missed deals during Iger's long tenure. Disney was on the brink of acquiring Twitter from Jack Dorsey at a price considered very advantageous, but Iger withdrew on the morning of the signing, fearing that the platform would turn out to be a heavy distraction for the group's core business. There is also the case of the James Bond franchise, which Disney tried to acquire but instead remained with MGM, now owned by Amazon. A list of missed opportunities that, when read together, presents the image of a Disney often close to large-scale operations but ultimately not brought to fruition.

In the interview, there is also space for the succession. Iger openly criticized Bob Chapek, the successor chosen in 2020, for implementing drastic changes without real urgency, adding bureaucracy and new levels of management; and he dismissed rumors that, once out of the company, he would work to undermine his successors, calling them completely false. Iger then led the return to normalcy before stepping down in early 2026, replaced by Josh D'Amaro, former head of parks and experiences; he will remain on the Disney board until the end of the year.