Eisner Gives Clues to Next Move

How does a media mogul who has run a world-famous corporation for two decades suddenly transform himself into an entrepreneur?

If you are Michael Eisner, you turn to people you know and trust -- the ones who previously worked for you.

Since retiring as chief executive of Walt Disney Co. Sept. 30, Eisner has reached out to two senior executives who still work at the Burbank entertainment giant. Although he has stopped short of offering them jobs, he has broached the subject of working together in the future.

The overtures -- to studio production chief Nina Jacobson and former head of strategic planning Peter Murphy -- underscore just how bound to Disney Eisner remains.

By putting out feelers to former colleagues, Eisner, 63, has provided the first real clues about his budding post-Disney plans. In Hollywood, where information is power, his schmoozing has also enlivened what was already a favorite parlor game.

Among the top ranks of entertainment industry executives, predicting what Eisner will do next has become a fascination. After all, this is a guy who presided over the transformation of Disney from a struggling company worth $1.6 billion into a nearly $32-billion global empire with 10 theme parks, the ABC television network, cable channels such as ESPN, a library of more than 900 movie titles and 32,000 hotel rooms. It stands to reason his next move is worth watching.

Eisner hasn't made it easy, however, to track his new venture -- in part, friends say, because he's not sure what it will be.

"He hasn't made up his mind about what comes next," said one Hollywood executive who spoke with Eisner recently. "He's looking at deals, deciding whether to buy or build."

To aid in that pursuit, he has hired two former Disney analysts, said several Eisner acquaintances who asked not to be named for fear of offending their friend.

With his respected name and estimated $750 million in net worth, Eisner has the financial firepower, he has told friends, to create his own new entertainment company. Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the founders of Miramax Film Corp., recently raised nearly $500 million for a new studio, and many believe Eisner could raise even more than that.

Eisner has told friends that he plans to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to finance a company that would create film, TV and Broadway productions.

Sources said he approached Jacobson, the president of production at Disney's film studio, about the possibility of working together.