by Theme Park Center
If you've ever watched a Disney movie or visited a Disney theme park, you've probably wondered just who owns Disney.
We're here to detail who currently owns Disney, some insight on previous owners and a few fun facts about notable Disney owners!
Questions We'll Answer About The Walt Disney Company Ownership:
- Who Has Previously Owned Disney?
- Who Currently Owns Disney?
- What Companies Are Owned By Disney?
Who Has Previously Owned Disney?
Ownership of Disney has a very short history, especially when compared to the ownership history of their primary competitor, Universal Studios.
Prior to the current ownership structure of The Walt Disney Company, the only other owners of Disney are Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney.
Walt and Roy Disney are of course the company's founders and remained in control of The Walt Disney company for decades without relinquishing any sort of ownership.
However, just a couple of years after Disneyland had opened there was a need to raise more capital to help fund Roy and Walt's dreams for the company.
With dozens of new animated films, shows and even a new theme park off in the ( very distant) future, Walt and Roy knew they would need more money than ever to fund all of these massive undertakings.
The next steps in Walt and Roy's plans for the Walt Disney Company was the first time they gave up any major amount of ownership in the company and led to the ownership still in place today.
Who Currently Owns Disney?
On November 12th, 1957 the Walt Disney Company would IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
This means that Disney would become a publicly traded company - shares could be bought and sold by literally anyone. Quite literally anyone could "own" a portion of The Walt Disney Company.
While Walt and Roy were majority shareholders for an extended period, Disney soon become like most publicly traded companies with a huge variety of different owners.
At one point Steve Jobs was actually the largest owner of Disney stock with nearly 10% ownership of the entire company! Most of Steve Jobs' ownership in Disney was built when he sold Pixar to Disney which included lots of Disney stock as part of the exchange.
While that may pale in comparison to what Walt and Roy used to own, it was certainly a large chunk of the company to own in the 2000's.
To illustrate just how much of the company Steve Jobs owned, Robert Iger, the long time CEO of The Walt Disney Company once owned over 1,000,000 shares of the company which only amounted to 0.06% ownership!
Fast forward to today, some of the major owners of Disney company stock include Vanguard Group at 7%, BlackRock Inc. at 6% and State Street Corp at 4%.
Most of these large owners of Disney stock are corporate holding and investment companies, while the rest of Disney stockholders are made up of high net worth individuals, other investment companies and the general public!
In short: Disney is owned by the shareholders - which means even you can be a part owner of The Walt Disney Company!
What Does The Walt Disney Company Own?
Now that we've covered who owns Disney, you might be interested in knowing what other companies fall under the Disney umbrella are.
Below are some well-known and more surprising companies that Disney owns:
- Pixar Animation Studios
- Disneyland Paris Resort
- Walt Disney World Resort
- Disneyland Resort
- Lucasfilm
- Marvel Entertainment
- 20th Century Fox
- National Geographic
- ABC
- ESPN
- Freeform
- The Muppet Studio
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As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of The Walt Disney Company's ownership history and its subsidiaries, let me provide you with some insights into the concepts discussed in the Theme Park Center article dated February 10, 2023.
Ownership History: The article begins by highlighting the short ownership history of The Walt Disney Company compared to its primary competitor, Universal Studios. The founders, Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney, initially maintained control of the company for decades without relinquishing ownership. However, the need for additional capital to fund ambitious projects led to the first significant shift in ownership.
Previous Owners: Walt and Roy Disney were the sole owners before the need for capital arose. The founders then made a strategic decision to give up a major amount of ownership, marking a crucial point in the company's ownership history.
Current Ownership: On November 12th, 1957, The Walt Disney Company went public, listing its shares on the New York Stock Exchange through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). This move allowed the general public to become shareholders, with Walt and Roy Disney transitioning from majority shareholders to one of many. Over time, ownership has evolved, with notable figures like Steve Jobs holding a significant stake at one point. Presently, major owners include Vanguard Group, BlackRock Inc., and State Street Corp, along with various other institutional and individual investors.
Companies Owned by Disney: The article also delves into the vast array of companies under the Disney umbrella. Notable subsidiaries include:
- Pixar Animation Studios
- Disneyland Paris Resort
- Walt Disney World Resort
- Disneyland Resort
- Lucasfilm
- Marvel Entertainment
- 20th Century Fox
- National Geographic
- ABC
- ESPN
- Freeform
- The Muppet Studio
This list showcases the diverse portfolio of Disney, ranging from animation studios to theme parks, entertainment networks, and more.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive overview of The Walt Disney Company's ownership journey, its transition to a publicly traded entity, and the extensive list of subsidiaries that contribute to the company's global presence in the entertainment industry.
