Disney CEO: "Jobs Was Such an Original"

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In addition to his work at Apple, Steve Jobs was also a member of Disney's board and its largest shareholder, thanks to the sale of Pixar to the Mouse house in January 2006.

In a statement, Iger said:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an "original," with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

Jobs sold Pixar, the animation studio he acquired in 1986, to Disney in 2006 for $7.4 billion.

Even before its purchase of Pixar, Disney and Apple enjoyed a close relationship. Disney was one of the first studios to support the iTunes video store and the two companies frequently marketed their products together throughout the 1990s.

Pixar films frequently carry homages to Apple, including the startup sound in WALL-E and the white iMac (complete with the Safari web browser) in Toy Story 3.

Jobs might not be primarily considered a Hollywood mogul, but the success of Pixar made him a force to be reckoned with.

Steven Spielberg one of the founders of Pixar rival DreamWorks Animation, released the following statement:

"Steve Jobs was the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison. He put the world at our fingertips."

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