Disney CEO Bob Iger said he believes he would have talked about a merger between Disney and Apple if Steve Jobs hadn’t died in 2011, according to Iger’s new autobiography.
An excerpt from Iger’s autobiography was published in Vanity Fair this week. In the excerpt, he explains he thinks that Jobs and Iger would have met to discuss a merger.
“With every success the company has had since Steve’s death, there’s always a moment in the midst of my excitement when I think, I wish Steve could be here for this,” Iger wrote.
“It’s impossible not to have the conversation with him in my head that I wish I could be having in real life. More than that, I believe that if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously.”
Iger’s book, “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company,” will be released Sept. 23.
Iger and Jobs had a close relationship in the business world. Disney acquired Pixar, which was started by Jobs, for $7.4 billion in 2006.
Jobs was on Disney’s board after the acquisition. Iger later joined Apple’s board in 2011. He left his position there last week.
Experts and analysts have wondered if Apple and Disney would ever merge, according to CNBC .
“Analysts have speculated about an Apple-Disney merger for years, though the size of the companies may now make a deal untenable, especially as the U.S. government ramps up regulatory scrutiny of the biggest technology companies,” CNBC reports.
Currently, Apple has a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion. Disney’s valuation rests at $246 billion.
“An acquisition of Disney now would be the largest deal of all time,” according to CNBC.