Walter Elias Disney, popularly known Walt Disney, was the man who changed the fate of the American animation industry forever, by creating some of the most memorable cartoon characters of all times. The Walt Disney Company founded by him is, today, valued at approximately $ 130 billion and is the second largest broadcasting and cable company in the world.
Here are some interesting facts about this creative mastermind.
Interesting facts about Walt Disney
1) Walt Disney initially wanted to join the Army and dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to pursue the same. However, his age became a barrier for him and he ended up joining the Red Cross in France as an ambulance driver.
2) The first animation studio founded by Disney was called Laugh-O-Gram, where he began narrating modernized fairy tales based on Aesop’s Fables. This studio never made any noticeable profits and hence had to shut down eventually.
3) Today, Walt Disney is synonymous with the iconic character Mickey Mouse, but Mickey Mouse was not his first creation. While Disney was in a contract with Universal Pictures, he created a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. When Disney left Universal, he was barred from taking the character with him.
4) Walt Disney has a planet named after him. In 1980, a Soviet astronomer, Lyudmila Karachkina, discovered a small planet and named it after Walt Disney. The planet is called 4017-Disneya.
5) Walt Disney initially named Mickey Mouse as Mortimer Mouse, but later changed it to Mickey, after his wife suggested him Mortimer is too pretentious.
6) From the inception of Mickey Mouse in 1928 till 1947, Disney himself voiced the character. He later handed over this responsibility to American actor Jimmy MacDonald.
7) For 2 years, Walt Disney held the patent for technicolour. This meant he was the only person who had the rights to make animated colour films at the time.
8) Walt Disney had a secret apartment in Disneyland and it still remains unchanged. Disney was known to spend time in this apartment. Though not open to the public, VIPs are occasionally given a tour of this space.
9) Walt Disney was nominated for 59 Oscar Awards, out of which, he won 22, the most by any individual.
10) Walt Disney’s last words remain a mystery even today. While on his deathbed, he wrote “Kurt Russell.” Till date, no one knows what Disney meant, not even Kurt Russell himself.
Which of these facts about Walt Disney surprised you the most? Comment below and let us know.
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.