Disney shareholders, normally a sunny bunch whose concerns run toward getting more park perks and a DVD release date for the 1946 film “Song of the South,” showed a darker side on Thursday at the company’s annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Among the usual questions about new rides, dividends — and yes, the loved and hated “Song of the South” — were unusually pointed observations about the size of CEO Bob Iger’s pay package.
An Albuquerque teacher drew a smattering of applause from fellow shareholders when he told Disney execs he was “troubled” by Iger’s $27.7 million compensation package in fiscal 2007.
“More should be going back to investors who are taking the risks,” Pard said. “Twenty-seven million is a lot to pay someone for one year.”
While effusively praising Iger and Disney, a female shareholder agreed with the teacher and suggested the Mouse House lead the way in bringing down executive salaries.
“Can’t you make it on $20 million a year?” she asked Iger. “That gentleman is a schoolteacher and he makes in a year what you make in three hours. It’s just getting too excessive.”
But a Clovis, New Mexico shareholder came to Iger’s defense: “I would like to say that Mr. Iger is entitled to every damn penny that he makes.”
Iger let Chairman John Pepper defend him in the salary talks, and later could not be reached to comment on the shareholders’ pay cutting scheme.
Oh, and don’t hold your breath on seeing a DVD release date soon for “Song of the South”, whose portrayal of slavery Disney fears may be offensive to modern audiences. Iger again told shareholders the issue is “complicated” and Disney was still considering it.
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Why in New Mexico? Is Alaska on the list?
Dear John E. Pepper Jr. - Chairman of the Board The Walt Disney Company; and Fred H. Langhammer; Steve Jobs; Roy E. Disney; Susan Arnold; John E. Bryson; Judith L. Estrin; John S. Chen; Robert A. Iger; Aylwin B. Lewis; Monica C. Lozano; Orin C. Smith; Robert W. Matschullat; shareholders/investors; Johnny Depp; Alice Davis, X. Atencio, & to whom it may concern:
What I am presenting is a very serious and important issue. On my website http://www.disneylawsuit.com is documented proof, key details pinpointing the Walt Disney Company’s deliberate fraud and certain corruption, which includes this company having intentionally concocted facts and lies with which to financially profit, escape all accountability and purposely alter the court, it’s shareholders and the public’s perception of the truth.
It is a documented fact (new documented proof is archived on my website: See PART 8 and PART 10) that the Walt Disney Company officially demanded that I “admit” that their concocted facts and lies were true, and then by mixing in additional misdirection, Disney firmly threaten that if I didn’t dismiss my case by May 18, 2007, Disney would get the court to dismiss my case and hit me with enormous fees, sanctions and expenses.
For convenience, on my website, there are many archived photo set comparisons and materials, all streamlined for quick reference. As I have experienced and have documented, instead of attempting to resolve a serious issue regarding the Pirates of the Caribbean movie with any logical or fair approach, or even by way of a jury to review any of the evidence, the Walt Disney Company has intentionally orchestrated, supervised and engaged in deliberate corrupt acts, especially involving a book entitled “Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies” book, written by Disney employee Jason Surrell and signed off by Martin “Marty” Sklar, with which to avoid all accountability and ultimately rewarded itself solely based it’s own design of misdirection, concocted facts and lies.
However, even though the Walt Disney Company acts as if it were a private company, with special hypocritical standards and corrupt practices, this publicly traded company is still obligated for truth and is forever accountable for all of it’s actions and the ramifications.
- Posted by Royce Mathew