Disney CEO Bob Iger defended his decision to oust Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter and tried to defuse his company’s dispute with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, according to Time.
In an in depth interview with the magazine edition of the 100 most influential peopleIger said firing Perlmutter “was a needed step towards us making a more efficient company.”
Iger was also involved in Disney’s dispute with DeSantis over control of Reedy Creek, a special tax district that features Disney World, based in Orlando.
“I do not see it as a situation where we lie down on a mattress,” he told Iger Time.
Iger has had a tougher history with Perlmutter for the reason that 80-year-old billionaire sold Marvel Entertainment to Disney in 2009.
Perlmutter pressured friend and activist investor Nelson Peltz to join the Disney board before Iger returned last November to take over from his successor Bob Chapek.
The notoriously aggressive Perlmutter contacted Disney board members and senior executives six times from August to November to urge Peltz to join the board of Mouse House, according to a securities document.
Peltz launched a alternative battle to install himself on board after Iger’s return, promising to cut costs and reorganize Disney’s loss-making streaming business, in addition to fix the corporate’s failed succession planning.
![Bob Iger told Time he fired Isaac](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009302299.jpg?w=1024)
He withdrew his offer in February after Iger promised to restructure, cut costs and possibly restore Disney’s dividend.
The move put Perlmutter’s future unsure ahead of the March 29 cuts that saw Mouse House shed 7,000 jobs.
Nevertheless, Iger denied that the choice to do away with Perlmutter was related to his support for Peltz.
“I’d reasonably not go into details about that.” … There was redundancy specific to how Marvel was managed,” Iger told Time.
![Perlmutter, 80, tried to initiate a proxy war through his friend, activist-investor Nelson Peltz.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009617030.jpg?w=1024)
Iger also struggled with the aftermath of Chapek’s skirmish with DeSantis after Disney opposed the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill banning school teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.
in late February, DeSantis appointed latest board members to oversee the district in retaliation for the entertainment giant’s public stance.
Recently, board members claimed that their Disney-controlled predecessors were quick to pounce on them, stripping them of most of their power before stepping aside.
This week, the governor stepped up the pressure by announcing he was considering the potential of imposing latest taxes on Disney hotels and real estate developments and tolls on roads near his Florida properties.
![Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently embroiled in a battle with Disney over control of his special tax district.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/NYPICHPDPICT000009614372-1.jpg?w=1024)
DeSantis-appointed board members also introduced a resolution saying they’ve “superior authority” over all decisions regarding the event of the 27,000-acre site. The board is anticipated to vote on the resolution next week.
“If the governor of Florida wants to meet with me to discuss all of this, in fact, I’d be completely happy to achieve this,” he told Iger Time. “You realize, I’m a one that normally respects our elected officials and the responsibilities they take, and there could be no reason why I shouldn’t.”