Disney CEO Seriously Considered Entering 2020 Presidential Race Before Fox Acquisition

Before Disney made history with its $52.4 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox in December 2017, CEO Bob Iger had seriously considered the possibility of running as a potential candidate for the 2020 presidential elections.

In an interview with Vogue for its upcoming May issue, Iger admitted that he had been exploring the idea of running for president prior to the 2016 elections. His wife Willow Bay, a dean at the University of Southern California, was initially averse to the idea, believing that it would be “highly destructive to our family and to our lives,” and had reluctantly conceded once she realized Iger was earnest in his intent to enter the presidential race.

“I am horrified at the state of politics in America today, and I will throw stones in multiple directions. Dialogue has given way to disdain. I, maybe a bit naively, believed that there was a need for someone in high elected office to be more open-minded and willing to not only govern from the middle but to try to shame everyone else into going to the middle,” Iger stated to Vogue.

However, Iger’s plans of running for the presidency came to a halt when Disney successfully acquired 21st Century Fox in December. With the Disney-21st Century Fox deal prolonging Iger’s indenture at Disney until 2021, Iger is devoting his attention to Disney and its potential endeavors.

Vogue reports that Oprah Winfrey, a good friend of Iger, conveyed that she still believes that Iger would be an ideal president, asserting that she “really, really pushed him to run for president, so much so that I said to him, ‘Gee, if you ever decide to run for office, I will go door to door carrying leaflets. I will go sit and have tea with people.’ ”