Iger's early entry into a media career began in 1974 when, upon a referral from his uncle who had a contact at ABC, he began working on sets at the network for $150 a week.

When Disney bought ABC in 1995, Iger thrived. He stayed on as chairman of the company until he was promoted to running Walt Disney International.

Iger became Disney's chief executive in September of 2005, launching the company into a new golden era with the massive acquisitions of Pixar for $7.4 billion in January 2006 and Marvel for $4 billion in August 2009.

Iger was consistently one of Hollywood's highest-paid CEOs earning a $3 million salary in 2019, plus a $21.8 million bonus, $10 million worth of stock awards, and $9.6 million worth of stock options.