Disney Ordered to Pay Benefits to Exec’s Heirs

Walt Disney Co. must pay $1.5 million to a former senior vice president whose heirs claimed he was pressured to sign away stock options and life insurance benefits while dying of AIDS, a federal judge ruled.

A Los Angeles jury in April 2000 found the world’s second-largest media company had no right to deny Robert Jahn his benefits while he was on his deathbed. The jury specified no money award to Jahn’s estate, which was left to U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson to determine later.

In his order, Pregerson directed Disney to pay Jahn’s estate $1 million, plus $525,123 in prejudgment interest.

The judge denied most of the estate’s remaining claims, including breach of contract, violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act and breach of fiduciary duty.