Trivia

In the early 1990s, after he cashed out some of the options he enjoyed which were tied to the performance of the Walt Disney Company, he walked away with over $100 million in cash.

Under his leadership, Disney was transformed from a movie studio and theme park company to one of the largest media powerhouses in the world. The company's market capitalization grew from $2 billion in 1984 to $61 billion in 2001. The company is now worth $50 billion.

While he was an executive at Paramount Pictures, he said the best screenplay he ever read was Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

When dissatisfied with his work at NBC, he mailed out hundreds of resumés to further his career. He received just one response - from Barry Diller at ABC.

President and COO of Paramount Pictures (1976-1984). CEO and Chairman of the Walt Disney Company (1984-2005).

After receiving an unprecedented rebuke from shareholders in 2004 with 43% of shares being withheld for his re-election, he stepped down as the Chairman of the Board, and continued to hold the position of CEO.

Won a lawsuit brought by the Disney shareholders over the compensation package of fired executive Michael Ovitz. Even though the judge ruled that Eisner did not owe the Disney shareholders any money, the judge ruled that Eisner often put his own interests over that of his company. (August 2005)

When the Walt Disney Company bought ABC, Eisner controlled the network that gave him his start as a young executive.

He wrote his autobiography, a second book about his summer camp and was the subject of two other books, "The Keys to the Kingdom" and "Disney War".

When Barry Diller brought Eisner to Paramount Pictures in 1976, the company was firmly in sixth place (out of six) in the movie industry, without a single release in the box-office top ten. Two years later, half of the top box-office were Paramount productions, and Paramount was the top movie studio.

His favorite film is Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro (1988). The film became Disney property in 2004; it was previously owned by 20th Century Fox and Troma Inc.

As a top programming executive at ABC in the 1970s, he was instrumental in taking the network from its usual third place to the top through programming like Happy Days (1974).

He was heavily criticized for building a Board of Directors which was filled with friends and supporters who did not effectively balance his own influence in the boardroom. Reforms that were made under pressure brought in renowned diplomat and negotiator Senator George Mitchell, but also removed the harshest critic of Eisner in the boardroom - Roy Edward Disney.

He was the visual inspiration for Lord Farquaad, the main villain of the animated classic Shrek (2001).

Facing the biggest challenge during his time at Disney as he faces calls for his resignation by Roy Edward Disney and Stanley Gold (former Disney executives) and the Walt Disney Company faces a takeover bid from Comcast, Inc. (February 2004)

Began with a minor position at NBC, then moved to ABC, Paramount Pictures, then to the Walt Disney Company.

Has been criticized in recent times for having a fractious style of management which has led to a string of top executives leaving the company.

Underwent open heart surgery in 1996.

Father of Breck Eisner, Eric Eisner and Anders Eisner.

When he was at Disney, under Buena Vista Productions, employees forced to use trade names Valleycrest Productions, Faded Denim Productions or Lipstick Productions.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6843 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 25, 2008.

No relation to comic book legend Will Eisner, despite a popular misconception.

Inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame on March 1, 2012.

Received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Denison University in Granville, Ohio (1964).

Worked his way up from an mid-level manager to Vice President of Prime Time Production at ABC (1966-1976).