Roy Disney - Walt Disney's protector and Disney's Business Architect

Behind every visionary is someone who makes the vision survive. In this episode of Confidants, we tell the overlooked story of Roy O. Disney, the older brother who protected Walt Disney and quietly engineered one of the most admired companies.While Walt imagined worlds, Roy fought bad deals, mastered distribution, defended Disney’s intellectual property, and kept the company alive through strikes, wars, and near-bankruptcy.You’ll hear how Roy negotiated with Hollywood studios, banks, and governments, pioneered character merchandising, and financed Disneyland and Walt Disney World without surrendering control. This episode is a masterclass in negotiation, long-term thinking, and the unseen work required to turn creativity into an enduring empire.Bob Thomas’s Building a Company Roy O. Disney And The Creation of an Entertainment Empire served as the jumping-off point for today’s episode.