Jim Henson(1936-1990)

Died a few days before the weekend he was going to sell his company to Disney, for a reported $150 million. Henson actually planned to give a good deal of the proceeds to the Muppet performers, employees of the Henson company and longtime associates. The sale would have also included a number of lucrative provisions for Henson. Besides the lump sum of cash, Henson would receive a fifteen year production deal with Disney which would have included feature films and television specials, casting power over the Muppet performers, veto power over the use of Kermit the Frog and an entire area of the Disney-MGM Studios theme park devoted to the Muppet characters. Disney Imagineers had granted Henson design input for the area, which would have also included several new attractions and shows.

When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here. It's a wonderful life and I love it.