< I>The Motley Fool has published a piece by Rick Aristotle Munarriz that gives Steve Jobs 3:1 odds at replacing Michael Eisner as CEO, the #2 pick behind favorite Bob Iger. The subject is a topic for conversation because beleaguered and embattled CEO Michael Eisner announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down as head of the media giant. Steve Jobs as the #2 pick for getting the job is particularly telling because the magazineis #1 choice, Bob Iger, has been hand-picked by Mr. Eisner to be his replacement.
So who will ultimately be tapped for the helm? Even before Eisner announced his retirement plans, there were a few names thrown around to potentially fill the heavily scrutinized shoes Since I canit find a Vegas bookmaker willing to dish out the odds, Iill handicap this myself.
So, place your bets. I canit imagine this being just an ordinary changing of the guard.[...]
Steve Jobs -- Odds 3-to-1
There are more than a few Disney purists -- I among them -- who would like to see Apple Computeris Steve Jobs get a crack at running Disney. As a charismatic visionary with a knack for quality, he may very well be this generationis response to Walter Elias Disney. Thanks to Appleis dominance in digital music and his majority stake in the worldis new animation leader -- Stock Advisor recommendation Pixar -- Jobs is already in deep when it comes to entertainment. While awkward, this would also open the door for Disney and Pixar to find some form of working relationship beyond 2005. Whether itis a simple distribution agreement or a total buyout, all roads to Pixar lead through Jobs, who may fall to the persuasion of running the worldis leading family entertainment powerhouse with a bent for the future.
You can find a lot more information in the full article about the other nine contenders for the post, whose odds range from 2:1 (Bob Iger, President and COO of Disney) to 40:1 (Matt Ouimet, head of Disneyis theme parks).