SECRET EISNER MEMO ON OVITZ: A 'PSYCHOPATH' (life inside Mikey's Magic Kingdom)

NY POST ^ | February 27, 2004 | PAUL THARP

[Liz]

After being kept secret for eight years, Michael Eisner's real feelings about his ousted No. 2 Michael Ovitz are revealed: He was a "psychopath . . . too untrustworthy . . . totally incompetent."

Eisner's blistering words were contained in a Walt Disney memo buried in long-sealed court records, which were ordered unsealed in a current shareholder revolt against Eisner.

[Liz]

The memo tries hard to pull off an Eisner-as-victim scam. But the $100M he gave Ovitz as a goodbye gift remains problematic.

[Covenantridge]

Mayhem in the mouse house, eh?

[Glenn]

And often you lost your temper, to pilots, drivers, little people.

Little people?

Hey, jerk. Those "little people" pay for everything you own.

[international american]

Isner ought to resign...he has made hundreds of millions from Disney. And who put Ovitz in there, anyway?

[international american]

"Hey, jerk. Those "little people" pay for everything you own."

Kinda tells you what his mindset is:)

[BushWonGore'sDone]

That's how those big people talk to each other when they are talking about us little people!!!

[monocle]

Isner's description of Ovitz also fits Bill Clinton. Isn't interesting that Hollywood types dismiss the importance of character for our political leaders?

[international american]

Eisner held the biggest fundraiser for Clinton 1st time. It was at his Beverly Hills mansion. As soon as Clinton won, Eisner dumped 260 million in stock. He said he knew Clinton was going to raise taxes:)

[freekitty]

"little people"

That's very telling of Mr. Esiner's CHARACTER, or I should say lack of it.

[mabelkitty]

Read the whole memo through Drudge.
Eisner actually accused Ovitz of talking down to pilots, drivers, little people.

Little People. Midgets or unwashed masses? He didn't clarify.

[fortunecookie]

Hey, jerk. Those "little people" pay for everything you own.

More than most people realize. This includes the millions in bonuses taken for himself, even in the years WDW had layoffs and paycuts. He has hijacked WDW (what still is to some extent a happy place for children and families) and uses WDW as a shill to 'hide' his more nefarious works - works that assault children, families and Judeo-Christian values at every turn and sucks for himself as much as he can from it, besmirching what used to be a good, wholesome place. Hopefully he will be stopped, because he won't stop until he's sucked it dry, and only then will he move on. He is a jerk and so much more.

[Liz]

Little people? Shades of snob and tax evader hotelier Leona Helmsley.

[rightazrain]

I haven't wanted to go to Disneyworld ever since I learned about the "gay days."

P.S. Headline should read: "Pot Calls Kettle Black"

[utahagen]

I agree. I'm skeptical about all the negative stuff you read about Ovitz. I'm not naive enought to believe Ovitz isn't a shark, but the criticism of him is so vitriolic even years later that I wonder if something else is going on here. I mean, if Ovitz really is the Prince of Darkness, what kind of judgment did Eisner, Geffen et al exercise in doing business with him in the first place?

[bigeasy_70118]

Not that I am at all close to this situation but of friend of mine was represented by CAA while Ovitz was in charge. He said Ovitz was a fair guy and always very pro-client.

My knowledge of Eisner is only from press reports, this self-serving memo and a disasterous visit to Walt Disney World but my overall impression is that he's sleaze ball.

If his criticizing Ovitz's lavish lifestyle isn't the pot calling the kettle black than I don't know what is.

[fortunecookie]

P.S. Headline should read: "Pot Calls Kettle Black"

For sure! Things must be getting tough for Eisner, he's squirming and throwing insults. I'm sure (sarcasm) Ovitz is just as wholesome as Mikey, but Eisner is still calling the shots and giving himself big bonuses, and his croneys too. Barf. Btw, it almost sounds like Eisner gave Ovitz a big 'payoff' or shut up bonus... Only now Eisner is afraid Ovitz won't shut up, so he's on the offensive.

[NYCVirago]

Didn't Eisner hire Ovitz? What, he couldn't figure out Ovitz's character before picking him? It wasn't like Ovitz was a nobody -- he was the most powerful agent in Hollywood at that time!

[NYCVirago]

I agree. I'm skeptical about all the negative stuff you read about Ovitz. I'm not naive enought to believe Ovitz isn't a shark, but the criticism of him is so vitriolic even years later that I wonder if something else is going on here. I mean, if Ovitz really is the Prince of Darkness, what kind of judgment did Eisner, Geffen et al exercise in doing business with him in the first place?

Good question. Ovitz's big mistake on the way down was criticizing what he called "the gay mafia" who runs Hollywood. Geffen et al will never forgive him for saying that.

[COUNTrecount]

By "little people" he meant the 7 Dwarves, close friends of Snow White. It is Disney, afterall.

[utahagen]

I think you're right that Ovitz sealed his fate by complaining about the "gay mafia". Ovitz long has been a fundraiser for UCLA's Medical School annd two years ago, David Geffen gave $200 million to...UCLA's Medical School. I think it was obviously Geffen's way of sticking it to Ovitz.