http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-02-14/

QuikQuote: Michael Eisner lobbied members of the board of the Walt Disney Co. as part of an effort to scuttle CEO Robert Iger's $7.4-billion acquisition of Pixar Animation, the New York Post reported today (Tuesday), without citing sources. The newspaper's report did not indicate which board members had been contacted by Eisner, or even how many. It said that he attempted to make the case that the deal was too expensive. In reporting on Eisner's alleged activities, the Post commented that "his open lobbying against [the deal] so soon after passing the reins to Iger is a remarkable breach of corporate decorum and served to undermine his own handpicked successor." A spokesman for Eisner was quoted as saying, "Mr. Iger has Mr. Eisner's complete support in sustaining the growth of Disney."

I'm not surprised. He's the one that ruined the relationship between Pixar and Disney anyways, so for his successor to reunite Disney and Pixar after he is gone probably doesn't sit too well with him.

Something tells me he's going to be a real pain-in-the-bum major stockholder.

Something tells me he's going to be a real pain-in-the-bum major stockholder.

yeah - but Steve Jobs has more stock - and is willing to take some things public in off-handed comment sort of way... I have seen it before in tech and I think I will see it again sometime soon if this heats up.

This could easily be a case of overblown media portrayals. I mean, come on. Until a few months ago the guy was CEO. He's still a major stockholder. He's friends with most of the folks on the board. Don't you think they're going to seek out his opinion on major decisions that affect the company, at least for awhile? And I could just as easily see Eisner say in an offhand way that $7.4B is a lot of money (remember how he got burned at the stake for both the ABC/Cap Cities and Fox Family deals), and it's being spun to make it sound like he was working devilishly behind-the-scenes to undermine Iger's authority.

The New York Post is hardly a reliable source. I'd take this with a huge grain of salt.

-Jeff