Disney's investor day may have been last week, but the feeling of shock and awe has barely subsided. (Get the top 10 takeaways from the company's all-out earnings call.)First there was that jaw-dropping disclosure of 86.8 million paid subscribers globally — just one year after launch. That was followed by a huge boost of the subscriber forecast to between 230 million and 260 million paid Disney+ subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024 — up from its previous guidance of...
Netflix
Reed
Hastings
Founder / CEO
While traditional studios saw revenues plummet during COVID’s theater closings, Hastings benefited from shelter-in-place orders that spiked Netflix subscriptions, at least temporarily muting concerns about the streaming giant’s debt load. He picked a good time to raise his profile with his book “No Rules Rule,” revealing the distinctive corporate culture he so assiduously cultivated. He also welcomed longtime lieutenant Ted Sarandos as his co-CEO in 2020. In the meantime, Hastings is sharing his good fortune, personally donating $30 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and $120 million to fund scholarships at historically Black colleges, while Netflix pledged $150 million to industry workers out of work due to COVID.