Walt Disney Co

The Walt Disney Company, often simply known as Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Founded on October 16, 1923, as an animation studio by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Oliver Disney under the name Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, it later operated as Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney Productions before officially adopting its current name in 1986. Disney became a leader in the animation field in 1928 with the short film Steamboat Willie, which utilized synchronized sound to become the first post-produced sound cartoon and popularized Mickey Mouse, who became the company's mascot and corporate symbol.

Following its success in the early 1940s, Disney expanded into live-action films, television, and theme parks during the 1950s. However, after Walt Disney's death in 1966, the company experienced a decline in profits, particularly in its animation division. In 1984, Michael Eisner was elected as CEO by Disney's shareholders, who turned the company's fortunes around through a strategic combination of international theme park expansion and the extremely successful Disney Renaissance period of animation from 1989 to 1999. In 2005, Bob Iger succeeded Eisner, further transforming the company into a major entertainment conglomerate with acquisitions including Pixar in 2006, Marvel Entertainment in 2009, Lucasfilm in 2012, and 21st Century Fox in 2019. Following Iger's retirement, Bob Chapek took over as CEO in 2020, but was dismissed in 2022, leading to Iger’s reinstatement.

Disney's film studio division includes notable segments such as Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Animation, and Searchlight Pictures. Other significant business operations encompass divisions that manage the ABC television network; cable networks including Disney Channel, ESPN, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic; publishing, merchandising, music, and theater divisions; direct-to-consumer streaming platforms like Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and Hotstar; and Disney Experiences, which features multiple theme parks, resort hotels, and cruise lines around the globe.

Since its inception, the company has won 135 Academy Awards, of which 26 were awarded to Walt Disney himself. Disney's films have often been included in numerous "greatest films of all time" lists and play a critical role in the evolution of the theme park industry. The company has been publicly traded since 1940 on the New York Stock Exchange and has been part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1991. As of August 2020, approximately two-thirds of its stock was owned by large financial institutions. The company proudly celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 16, 2023.