thecuddlyninja said:
I don't see those two things being necessarily at odds. Is it ruthless? Of course. But he was CEO from the mid 80s to the early 2000s, meaning he oversaw the (in my opinion) creative comeback of Disney studios. The run in the 90s was excellent. Just because you don't care about the art doesn't mean you don't hire people who make good art.
Also, both quotes are saying that they are going to make money, so I don't see a massive shift. It's kinda semantic IMO.
There's quite bit of difference.
Walt Disney's quote meant that he saw making money as just a means to and end, that end being making more movies. It meant that the artistry of making the movies was his real goal, and he saw the money as just a way of achieving that.
Michael Eisner's quote, on the other hand, means that he saw making movies as a means to an end, that end being making money. It meant that the money itself was his goal, and he saw the artistry of making movies as just a means to make a viable product that would sell well and make money.