The year was 1994. Michael Eisner, at the time The Walt Disney Company’s beloved chairman, had just undergone emergency quadruple bypass surgery.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times at the time, doctors at the famed Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told the 52-year-old he would make a full and speedy recovery of a “normal procedure” that lasted three hours.
But instead of resting and building back up his strength, Eisner did what many probably deem unthinkable: He took on a gargantuan project, and that was building his Malibu estate overlooking the picturesque Pacific Ocean.
“I decided that, beyond Disney, I needed a project when I recovered, and we saw this property,” Eisner, now 83, says in a new “In-Depth With Graham Bensinger” interview. “We only bought that piece and this piece. All the other pieces over the next 30 years — like that one there, which is our master bedroom. We decided, having done this bike trip in Europe many times, that we wanted to build a romantic idea of building a little village.”
The $200 Million Estate Includes Disney Magic
Eisner tells host Graham Bensinger that one of the most fulfilling parts of the renovation process was seeing his ideas come to fruition. While discussing the process, Eisner revealed just how thoroughly involved he was in the massive project.
“They wanted to do Texas limestone, for instance, which would have cost a fortune,” he explained. “I said, ‘What’s wrong with California limestone?’ And in one season, with the ocean, it looks like Texas limestone.”
Eisner’s personal tour includes checking out his brand new tile room, inspired by an obsession with tile, and a visit to the Italian town of Positano. The entire room is tile — from the walls and bathroom floors to the ceiling and built-in shelves.
It was no easy task. Eisner reveals he had to adhere to guidelines from the Malibu Coastal Commission in addition to finding the material and craftsmen who could pull off the work.
Eisner, who served as CEO of The Walt Disney Co. from 1984 to 2005, says walking the property keeps him fit. It’s practically a tiny city, featuring 16 bedrooms, 28 bathrooms, and a two-bedroom caretaker’s cottage. According to the Robb Report, the home also features a movie theater that connects to the pool area via an underground tunnel.
Eisner says walking the property keeps him fit. But if he needs a lift, an elevator helps.
“So you’ll see that says ‘6,’” Eisner says, pointing to an elevator button. “It should be ‘2’ and by ‘6’ it gives you the sense that you’re really going a long way.”
He explains the Disney connection.
“You do magic. You change everything to make it more exciting,” Eisner says.
Michael Eisner Makes a Stunning Admission
Eisner’s sitdown with Bensinger is his most wide-ranging interview in a long time.
Along the way, he broaches many subjects, including the movie theater business and how it may soon be a thing of the past due to better convenience.
“No, probably not,” he answers when asked if the movie theater business will survive. “It will survive for another 20 years, but at some point, the home is more convenient.”
At Disney headquarters in Burbank, California, its iconic Team Disney building is named after Eisner (“The Michael D. Eisner Building”). Surprisingly, Eisner has not set foot in the building for more than 20 years.
The last time he was there was on the day he left in 2005. He says he’s been invited again and again, but he turns them down.
“Once you sell your house, you move on,” he explains. “This is the most I’ve ever talked about Disney in this way.”
