Bob Chapek on rumors that Bob Iger knew COVID was coming

Sep 29, 2026

Disney's former CEO Bob Chapek is going public with claims that his predecessor Bob Iger may have known a pandemic was coming before handing over the job — an unflattering look at how power really works at one of the world's biggest media companies.

  • Chapek took over Disney in early 2020, weeks before COVID shut the parks and wiped out most of the company's revenue.
  • Several people outside Disney told him Iger likely knew more than the public did about a pandemic ahead, though Iger has denied COVID played any part in his exit.
  • Chapek ended up laying off more than half of Disney's 200,000 workers while also racing to build a streaming business a decade behind Netflix.
  • He says he was taking "friendly sniper fire" from inside the company the whole time, and was pushed out in late 2022 just months after the board extended his contract.
  • Small slights added up, including Iger refusing to give up the CEO office and its private shower.

Outlook: Expect more score-settling over the Disney succession as the book lands, with Iger's own legacy and the question of who follows him back in the spotlight.

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