Mickey’s Money Man And The Jaw-Dropping Paycheck of Disney’s Legal Chief

Disney’s Chief Legal Office is on no Mickey Mouse pay deal, taking home almost $16 million in 2024, making him one of the entertainment and media world’s best-paid lawyers.

The pay rise was 36 percent above his previous earnings.

Horacio Gutierrez’s compensation package included nearly $10 million in stock and option awards, along with $5.8 million in cash, which included a base salary of almost $1.5 million.

Gutierrez succeeded Alan Braverman as the company’s top lawyer, coming with a hefty recruitment package of around $22 million, enticing him away from Spotify Technology SA, where he had spent six years managing legal affairs.

Prior to Spotify, Gutierrez had an 18-year tenure at Microsoft, culminating in his role as general counsel.

Under Gutierrez’s leadership, Disney’s legal department, comprising approximately 1,400 professionals, underwent a significant restructuring.

He brought on board former Microsoft colleagues Matthew Penarczyk and David Howard, and took on additional compliance chief duties during a period of mass layoffs at the company.

Disney’s recent business moves, including the merger of its Hulu + Live TV streaming service with FuboTV Inc. and the abandoned plan to create a streaming sports network with Fox Corp. and Warner Bros.