Bob Iger, the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., was very serious about acquiring Twitter but had second thoughts because he had a bad feeling about the social media giant.
“The troubles were greater than I wanted to take on, greater than I thought it was responsible for us to take on,” the CEO revealed in a recent New York Times profile.
Iger was considering the purchase in 2017, according to his recently released memoir, “The Ride of a Lifetime.”
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“There were Disney brand issues, the whole impact of technology on society. The nastiness is extraordinary,” he said.
“I like looking at my Twitter newsfeed because I want to follow 15, 20 different subjects. Then you turn and look at your notifications and you’re immediately saying, ‘Why am I doing this? Why do I endure this pain?”
Iger said he felt Twitter can be a nasty place full of hate and bullying, according to Fast Company.
The exec concluded, “Like a lot of these platforms, they have the ability to do a lot of good in our world. They also have an ability to do a lot of bad. I didn’t want to take that on.” Iger felt Twitter toxic tendencies could damage Disney’s family-focused brand.
Under Iger, Disney has made other major acquisitions, including Pixar, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Marvel.