House of Mouse heiress Abigail Disney has a few thoughts on exactly how much money Disney CEO Bob Iger takes home each year. After it was reported the Iger earns $65.5 million — more than Netflix paid for Beyoncé’s Homecoming! — Disney criticized the wage gap between Iger’s total compensation and the compensation of many of his company’s employees. “Let me very clear. I like Bob Iger. I do NOT speak for my family but only for myself,†she began a lengthy thread, posted on Sunday. “Other than owning shares (not that many) I have no more say in what happens there than anyone else. But by any objective measure a pay ratio over a thousand is insane.†A recent Equilar study found that Iger’s pay was 1,424 times that of the median Disney employee, according to CNBC.
“Pointing out the incongruity of pay at the top and pay at the bottom provokes a reaction because it so violates of our innate sense of fairness it is impossible not to wince,†Disney tweeted. “What on earth would be wrong with shifting some of the profits — the fruits of these employees’ labor — to some folks other than those at the top? I’m not saying iger doesn’t deserve a bonus. He most certainly does. He is brilliant and has led the company brilliantly.†Read her full thread below:
Update, April 24, 3:53 p.m.: The Walt Disney Company has since responded to Abigail Disney’s tweets. In a statement to the New York Times, the company disputed the heiress’s claims and noted under Iger’s watch the stock price rose to $133 from $24 “which directly benefits the literally thousands of employees who hold our stock.â€