Who Owns Disney
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When Walt Disney passed away in 1966, he left behind an indelible mark on the world of entertainment for generations to come. His dream of creating a world of make-believe was shared by generations around the world and the Disney brand has now become one of the most iconic in the world. But who owns Disney now and how exactly has this industry giant evolved over the past decades?
Disney is now owned by, The Walt Disney Company. It is a publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DIS. It became a publicly traded entity in 1957 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1991. Disney was founded in 1923 by brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney and has gone on to become one of the biggest companies in the world, with a market cap of $255 billion as of November 2020.
The Walt Disney Company is led by Executive Chairman Robert A. Iger and CEO Bob Chapek. Bob Chapek was appointed as Disney’s CEO in 2020 to replace Robert A. Iger who had served as Disney’s Chairman and CEO since 2005. Disney’s Board of Directors is made up of 16 members including Disney CFO Christine M. McCarthy, Disney Parks’ Josh D’Amaro and Chief Culture Officer Alan Braverman.
The majority of shares in Disney are held by institutional and retail investors. The largest shareholders in Disney are listed below, with The Vanguard Group being the largest.
The Vanguard Group – 6.43%
BlackRock – 5.69%
State Street Global Advisors – 3.81%
Massachusetts Financial Services – 2.89%
Bank of America – 1.37%
The Walt Disney Company has grown largely through acquisitions. Some of Disney’s significant acquisitions include Pixar in 2006, Marvel Entertainment in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012. Disney also acquired 21st Century Fox in 2019 in a deal worth $71.3 billion, making it the largest ever media merger in history.
The Walt Disney Company also has a number of subsidiaries, including subsidiaries that own and operate the Disney theme parks and resorts. These include Disney Vacation Club, Disney Cruise Lines, Adventures by Disney and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. It also operates the ESPN network, its television broadcasting networks such as ABC and Disney Television, and its movie studios such as Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures.
There is no single owner of Disney as the company is publicly traded, however the majority of the shares are owned by institutional and retail investors. Nevertheless, the Walt Disney Company continues to be managed and operated by its executive team who are responsible for setting its strategic vision and ensuring growth and success.