Michael Eisner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Eisner
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Eisner in 2010
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Michael Dammann Eisner
March 7, 1942 Mount Kisco, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Denison University (BA) |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
| Board member of | Denison University The Tornante Company |
| Spouse(s) |
Jane Breckenridge
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 3, including Breck and Eric |
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Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman. He was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company. He held this important role from September 1984 to September 2005.
Before joining Disney, Eisner was the president of Paramount Pictures. He worked there from 1976 to 1984. He also had short jobs at big TV networks like NBC, CBS, and ABC.
During his 21 years at Disney, Eisner helped bring the company's animation studios back to life. This period is known as the Disney Renaissance. Many successful films were made, including The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994).
Eisner also helped Disney grow by buying other companies. These included ABC, most of ESPN, and The Muppets franchise. He also led big investments in Disney's theme parks. New parks opened, like Disney-MGM Studios (1989), Euro Disney (1992), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (1998).
His last years at Disney were challenging. Some movies did not do well. He also had disagreements with former partners like Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steve Jobs. This led to a campaign called "Save Disney." As a result, Eisner decided to step down as CEO in March 2005. He officially left the company in September 2005.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Eisner was born in Mount Kisco, New York. His family was wealthy. His mother, Margaret, was the president of a hospital that helped children. His father, Lester Eisner, Jr., was a lawyer.
His great-grandfather, Sigmund Eisner, started a successful clothing company. This company made some of the first uniforms for the Boy Scouts of America. Michael grew up in Manhattan. He went to the Allen-Stevenson School and then The Lawrenceville School. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Denison University in 1964.
Working at ABC and Paramount
After short jobs at NBC and CBS, Eisner was hired by Barry Diller at ABC. He started as an assistant and moved up quickly. He became a senior vice president in charge of TV shows.
In 1976, Barry Diller moved to Paramount Pictures. He asked Eisner to join him there. Eisner became president and chief operating officer of Paramount. During his time at Paramount, the studio made many popular films. These included Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and the Star Trek movies. They also made TV shows like Happy Days and Cheers.
When Diller left Paramount in 1984, Eisner hoped to take his place. But he was not chosen for the job. So, he left Paramount and looked for a new opportunity. He then sought the CEO position at The Walt Disney Company.
Leading The Walt Disney Company
After Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney passed away, The Walt Disney Company faced some challenges. In 1984, shareholders Sid Bass and Roy E. Disney brought in Michael Eisner as CEO and chairman. They also brought in Frank Wells as president. Their goal was to make the company stronger. Eisner also hired Jeffrey Katzenberg to lead the film studio.
A few years later, Eisner became the host of The Wonderful World of Disney. This made him the public face of the company. Children at the theme parks often recognized him and asked for autographs.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Eisner helped Disney grow a lot. The animation studio had many successful films. This period is known as the Disney Renaissance. Movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and The Little Mermaid (1989) were big hits.
Under Eisner, Disney also bought other media companies. These included Miramax Films in 1993, ABC, most of ESPN, and The Muppets franchise. Buying ABC meant Eisner was working with his former employer again.
In the early 1990s, Eisner planned "The Disney Decade." This plan included new parks and expansions around the world. It also involved new films and media investments. Some of these plans were completed. These included Euro Disney Resort (now Disneyland Paris) and Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios).
However, some projects like Disney's Animal Kingdom did not meet expectations. Also, there were some problems within the company. These issues affected Eisner's later career.
In 1994, Frank Wells, Disney's president, died in a helicopter crash. Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted to become the new president. But Eisner did not choose him for the role. This caused problems between them, and Katzenberg resigned. Katzenberg later started DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.
Eisner then hired his friend Michael Ovitz as president. Ovitz stayed for only 14 months. He left Disney in December 1996.
The "Save Disney" Campaign and Retirement
Even with his successes, Eisner faced criticism in his later years at Disney. Some of his decisions were not popular. This led to him becoming isolated from other Disney executives by 1995.
In November 2003, Roy E. Disney resigned from his roles at Disney. He was the son of co-founder Roy O. Disney. He felt there was too much control from the top. He was also concerned about movies not doing well. Disney also had disagreements with Pixar Animation Studios and its CEO Steve Jobs. Pixar had made successful films with Disney, like Toy Story and Finding Nemo.
On March 3, 2004, many Disney shareholders voted against re-electing Eisner to the board. This was a big surprise. As a result, the board gave the chairman position to George J. Mitchell.
On March 13, 2005, Eisner announced he would step down as CEO. He handed over his daily duties to Bob Iger. Eisner officially left Disney on September 30, 2005. He ended all his formal ties with the company.
In January 2006, Disney's main building in Burbank was renamed. It became the Team Disney – The Michael D. Eisner Building. This was done to honor him.
After Disney
After leaving Disney, Eisner continued to work in media. In October 2005, he was a guest host for the Charlie Rose talk show. He then got his own show on CNBC called Conversations with Michael Eisner. This show featured leaders and artists. It ran until 2009.
In March 2007, Eisner's investment company, The Tornante Company, started a studio called Vuguru. This studio made videos for the internet and mobile devices. In 2007, Eisner's company also bought Topps Company, which makes bubble gum and collectibles. He later sold Topps in 2022. His company also helped fund the Netflix series BoJack Horseman.
The College of Education at California State University, Northridge is named after him. In 2009, Eisner produced a claymation show called Glenn Martin, DDS. He was also inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2012.
Portsmouth Football Club (2017–present)
In March 2017, it was revealed that Eisner was interested in buying Portsmouth F.C.. This is a football club in England. On August 3, 2017, Eisner's Tornante Company completed the purchase of the club.
Personal Life
In 1964, after college, Michael Eisner met Jane Breckenridge. She later became his wife. They have three sons: Breck, Eric, and Anders Eisner.
Books by Michael Eisner
- Work in Progress (1998)
- Camp (2005)
- Working Together: Why Great Partnerships Succeed (2010)
Awards and Recognition
- 1994 Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement
- 2001 Honor Award from the National Building Museum
- 2004 UJA-Federation of New York's Steven J. Ross Humanitarian of the Year Award
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.
- Inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame on March 1, 2012.
Images for kids
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Michael Eisner's signature
See also
In Spanish: Michael Eisner para niños
