Future historians looking for a crisp illustration of the cultural divisions in 2020s America will find it hard to resist this one: a 100-year-old company built on family fun in a political showdown with a conservative governor looking to make his name. That showdown intensified in May when Disney canceled a $1 billion development project in Orlando as part of its feud with Governor Ron DeSantis. Companies that endure, says Bob Iger, who unexpectedly returned as CEO in November, do not abandon core values. And Disney remains formidable: In 2022, its film studio was the world’s top-grossing for a seventh straight year.
A weekly newsletter featuring conversations with the world’s top CEOs, managers, and founders. Join the Leadership Brief.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision