Iger reveals Disney walked away from Twitter deal and lost Bond to Amazon
Bob Iger confirms the entertainment giant abandoned talks to acquire Twitter, found Apple uninterested in a merger, and failed to secure the James Bond franchise as Amazon moved to consolidate its streaming assets.
Former Disney chief executive Bob Iger has disclosed that the company pursued but failed to secure three major strategic acquisitions, including the Twitter platform, a merger with Apple, and the James Bond franchise. In an exit interview with The Financial Times, Iger outlined the missed opportunities that defined the latter stages of his two-decade tenure, which concluded in March this year.
Iger confirmed that Disney was close to acquiring Twitter from co-founder Jack Dorsey at an attractive price prior to Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform in 2022. The company had intended to utilise the social media service as a global distribution channel for its content. However, Iger stated that he abandoned the deal on the morning of the transaction, citing concerns that the platform would serve as a horrible distraction from Disney’s core business operations.
Discussions regarding a potential merger with Apple also failed to materialise. Iger described such a combination as potentially truly transformational, noting that the two companies had a history of collaboration dating back to the 2006 acquisition of Pixar, which was facilitated by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Despite Iger serving on Apple’s board from 2011 to 2019 and establishing a rapport with Jobs, he noted that Apple did not show significant interest in a merger, causing the talks to never go anywhere.
The drive to expand Disney’s portfolio was significantly accelerated by the success of the Pixar deal, which Iger credited to Jobs’ respect for his efforts to reduce corporate bureaucracy. Following that acquisition, Iger assembled a list of targets that included Marvel, Star Wars, and James Bond. While Disney successfully acquired the former two, its attempt to secure the 007 rights was unsuccessful.
Amazon ultimately secured control of the James Bond franchise, initially obtaining distribution rights through its 2022 acquisition of MGM. The tech giant later paid more than $1 billion in February 2025 to take full creative control of the series. Iger stepped down as Disney’s chief executive on 18 March and was succeeded by Josh D’Amaro. He remains on the board but is expected to depart in December.
