THE LATEST ARTICLES
NEWSLETTERS
In the last two months, Nelson Peltz’s hedge fund, Trian Partners, has rebuilt its position in Disney with around $2.5 billion worth of stock.
William D. Cohan October 11, 2023
The feared activist investor is back inside Disney, rattling the cage, agitating for board seats, preparing white papers, and issuing warnings about the ABC fire sale. In my estimation, Iger has two choices: work with Peltz to restore the magic, or resign and find someone who can.
William D. Cohan October 8, 2023
A downturn at Candle Media is lowering Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ altitude on the Disney C.E.O. shortlist. Plus, notes on Byron’s ABC bid and Linda’s Twitter/X mess.
Bill Ackman has been in the SPAC game for long before it was trendy.
William D. Cohan October 4, 2023
Sure, Bill Ackman knows how to work the media beautifully, as he has many times in his career. But his public promotion of his new SPARC—a sort of SPAC 2.0—isn’t just a tickle: it’s a sign to the market that he’s open for a whale of a deal. And the calls are coming in…
Linda Yaccarino
William D. Cohan October 1, 2023
A meeting between C.E.O. Linda Yaccarino and seven Wall Street banks could decide whether investors can finally sell off the company’s debt without losing their shirts in the process. Plus, notes on the fallout from Bill Gates’ Tesla short.


Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg obtained search warrants allowing for the seizure of three artworks by the late Austrian artist, Egon Schiele.
William D. Cohan September 27, 2023
Nearly a century after a trove of Egon Schiele masterworks were stolen by the Nazis, District Attorney Alvin Bragg has seized them back. The story of their loss, and recovery, may be the most important development in the world of art restitution in a generation.
Of course, just because Rupert Murdoch is turning the chairmanship of both companies over to Lachlan, no one believes he is giving up control of either Fox or News Corp.
William D. Cohan September 24, 2023
Notes on the latest storylines in media and finance: the Murdoch family trust, a rocky road for I.P.O.s, and a silver lining at Disney.
Bob Iger
William D. Cohan September 20, 2023
Musings on the fate of the once-great Walt Disney Company and whether it would be great once again. Does that mean spinning off ABC and ESPN together?
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: Byron Allen on stage at the Byron Allen Oscar Gala at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Allen Media Group / Byron Allen)
William D. Cohan September 17, 2023
News and notes on the fire sale of Disney’s linear assets and the LVMH succession.


bob iger
William D. Cohan September 13, 2023
Running Disney may be close to impossible, but Iger is supposed to be the one guy with near complete free rein—isn’t everything on the table?—to do it. Are his various half-step initiatives early signs of Vulcan chess, or something much less magical?
William D. Cohan August 30, 2023
An intimate chat with Steve Schwarzman.
1 21 22 23 24 25 45