Excerpts from Bob Chapek's Memoir Reignite Feud with Bob Iger

The rivalry between former Disney CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek has resurfaced with the publication of initial excerpts from Chapek’s upcoming memoir, “Behind the Castle Walls.” The released passages heavily criticize Iger, with Chapek accusing him of betrayal and sabotage during his own three-year term as CEO.

In excerpts published by The Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair, Chapek details his departure from Disney and his strained relationship with his successor, Iger. He recounts the February 2020 CNBC interview that announced his succession, describing Iger's demeanor as hostile. "Bob usually appeared confident and optimistic in interviews, but he clearly didn’t feel that way during this one. I could almost feel the daggers Bob was hurling my way," Chapek wrote, adding that Iger "was botching the handoff because I believe he didn’t want to let go of the ball."

Chapek further alleges in the Vanity Fair excerpt that Iger engaged in a three-year effort to undermine him and engineer his downfall to regain control of the company. "While I was under pressure to keep the company afloat with no revenue and mounting debt, he appeared to actively work against me," Chapek stated. "As I pushed for bold streaming strategies to transform Disney into a streaming media powerhouse, he fueled an ego-driven power struggle."

Coinciding with the memoir’s excerpt release, Iger participated in an interview with Nitin Nohria, former dean of Harvard Business School and executive chairman of Thrive Capital, where Iger is an advisor. While not naming Chapek, Iger reflected on the 2019-2020 succession process. "Looking back, perhaps it wasn’t as thorough as we thought, in part because we thought we knew the person extremely well," Iger said. "In our zeal to check a box with succession and enable me to move on... I think we discounted them a bit more."

Chapek's memoir, "Behind the Castle Walls," is set to be released next Tuesday.