Disney
The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), commonly 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, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, the company later operated under the names Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney Productions before adopting its current name in 1986. Disney established itself as a leader in animation with the release of Steamboat Willie in 1928. The short film's pioneering use of synchronized sound helped popularize Mickey Mouse, who became the company's mascot and corporate icon.
After achieving success in animation by the early 1940s, Disney expanded into live-action films, television and theme parks during the 1950s. Following Walt Disney's death in 1966, the company experienced a decline in profitability, particularly in its animation business. In 1984, Michael Eisner became CEO and oversaw a revival of the company through international theme park expansion and the successful Disney Renaissance era of animation from 1989 to 1999. After becoming CEO in 2005, Bob Iger continued Disney's expansion into a major entertainment conglomerate through the acquisitions of Pixar in 2006, Marvel Entertainment in 2009, Lucasfilm in 2012 and 21st Century Fox in 2019. In 2020, Bob Chapek succeeded Iger as CEO, but was dismissed in 2022, leading to Iger's return. Josh D'Amaro succeeded Iger as CEO in March 2026.
Disney operates one of the largest film and television production businesses in Hollywood. Its Walt Disney Studios division includes Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Animation and Searchlight Pictures. Disney's other businesses encompass the ABC television network; cable networks including Disney Channel, ESPN, Freeform, FX and National Geographic; publishing, merchandising, music and theatrical productions; direct-to-consumer streaming services including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN's streaming offerings; and Disney Experiences, which operates theme parks, resort hotels and cruise lines worldwide.
Disney is one of the world's largest and most widely recognized entertainment companies. The company is widely regarded as an influential force in the entertainment industry, particularly for its contributions to animation and filmmaking. Disney ranked 71st on the 2025 Forbes Global 2000 and 44th on the 2026 Fortune 500 list of the largest American companies by revenue. Since its founding, the company has won 135 Academy Awards, including 26 awarded to Walt Disney himself. Its films have appeared on numerous lists of the greatest films of all time, and the company has played a major role in the development of the theme park industry. Publicly traded since 1940, Disney is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1991. As of August 2020, approximately two-thirds of its shares were held by large financial institutions. Disney celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 16, 2023.
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