What Bob Iger Did After Leaving Disney: Backing Startups With an Insider's Advice

In September 2022, Bob Iger stepped away from running Disney — one of the world's largest entertainment companies — and joined Thrive Capital, a New York investment firm. At Thrive, Iger works as a venture partner, which means he puts money into new technology companies and helps their leaders figure out how to grow.

This move shows a trend: successful executives from old, established companies are now moving into venture capital. They see it as a way both to make money and to stay connected to where technology is heading next.

Mentoring Startups Beyond Entertainment

At Thrive, Iger helps guide startups in healthcare, consumer apps, financial services, and business software. These fields are far removed from entertainment, yet they all share something in common: they are all trying to figure out how to use technology better.

Thrive Capital raised about $3 billion for its main investment fund in 2022, making it one of the bigger venture firms at a time when funding was dropping overall.

The Gopuff Example

One company Iger invested in is Gopuff, a startup that delivers groceries and essentials to people's homes in under an hour. Iger does not just hand over money — he advises the company's leaders.

Why is someone from the entertainment world useful here? Disney runs massive physical operations: theme parks with thousands of daily visitors, supply chains that reach around the globe, and careful attention to customer experience. Gopuff faces similar puzzles: where to build warehouses, how to get products delivered fast, and how to keep customers happy. The investment comes as on-demand delivery companies struggle to make money after explosive growth during the pandemic.

What Iger Said Publicly

Iger spoke at the Code Conference, an event where tech and media leaders discuss the future. He talked about whether movie theaters would bounce back after COVID-19 lockdowns, and he explained why Disney chose not to buy Twitter in 2017 — a choice that seems wise, given Twitter's troubles since then.

These public appearances accomplish two things: Iger stays influential in the industry, and Thrive gets credit for having someone with real operating experience on its side.

Why Established Leaders Join Venture Firms

Over my 30 years covering the technology industry, I have watched this pattern repeat. When big changes arrive — like the shift to mobile phones or streaming video — executives who got ahead of it were often those who positioned themselves closest to new companies early on. They were not waiting for disruption to reach them; they were looking at it directly.

The question Iger seems to be answering is this: what does an executive from entertainment learn that helps startups in healthcare or financial software? More than you might think. The skills that help run Disney are not specific to movies and parks. They are about how large organizations adopt new technology, how to keep millions of customers happy, and how to handle data at scale. Gopuff needs those exact capabilities as it grows.

Political Context

Jared Kushner fully divested from Thrive Capital before he joined the Trump White House, and no one from the Trump family has invested in the firm. This separation matters mostly if a Thrive company deals with content or regulation; for technology companies, the distance from political controversy is straightforward.

The Bigger Picture

As technology has matured, the line between "old media companies" and "tech startups" has become blurry. Streaming services use algorithms to recommend shows, theme parks now have apps and sensors that track visitor flow, and filmmakers use AI to speed up production. They are all doing the same kinds of things.

For Thrive's portfolio companies, Iger brings something concrete: experience building products that millions of people use, managing complex operations across different countries, and moving forward even when regulations slow things down. Those are skills that matter not just in entertainment, but in any business trying to scale.