Im very pleased, Im very optimistic, he said, and the alternative was ridiculous.
I was a matchmaker …
I dont know that Donald would have had this sweeping victory without Elons help.
Nelson Peltz, Elon Musk, Donald Trump and Bob IgerGetty Images
Elon was in Pennsylvania.
I thought he was going to be Dutch or something, he toldCNBCs Delivering Alpha Investor Conference in NYC.
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Yeah right, I thought he was going to be Amish.
He was there almost full time.
He came to New York every now and then to say hello.
But other than that, he was, he was there.
And I take my hat off to him.
I mean, he got the bit in his teeth and he wanted it to to work.
And if Donald gives him the opportunity, he will cut costs.
And thats what we need to do.
We need to cut costs.
Youre a businessman, youve got to have your revenue be bigger than your expenses.
We dont have that in America.
He had an example.
One of Peltz target companies, Unilever, just unveiled major job cuts.
Weve announced that there are 7,500 white collar jobs that we dont need.
Running a company with 7,500 extra people to pay every week.
And theyre not happy either, because they want to be doing something.
They dont just want to be hiding, which is what they were doing.
Thats all they do.
They need to feel that theyre being constructive.
So were going to help those 7,500 people feel constructive, and itll be good for both parties.
Re-litigating the fight, he described Disneys directors as inept and corrupt.
Peltz made his name amassing big holding in target companies and pushing for board seats and change.
His first directors gig in the 1970s paid $5k to $10k a year.
Thats an honorarium, its not source of income.
Today, directors can be making $300k to $400k a year.
Now its getting serious.
Youre on two, three boards.
Nice retirement income for you.
The first thing you dont want to do is upset the chairman.
You want to double-check hes happy with you.
Thats what we had at Disney.
Thats what we have at a lot of these places.
So, he was asked, why didnt he win?
Because the index funds didnt want me to win.
It wasnt a total loss, he noted.
He bought the shares in the mid-to-low $80s and sold them at $119 after the proxy fight.
They have bounced around since.
If the stock goes back to the $80s, you guys, Ill be back.
