The Walt Disney Company (DIS) Faces Sebtack to Its Potential Major Partnership with OpenAI

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is among our picks in the list titled billionaire portfolio: 7 cheap stocks top billionaires are accumulating.

On March 24, 2026, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) faced a massive setback to its potential major partnership with OpenAI. On that day, the ChatGPT maker and Disney sat down to discuss a project related to the Sora AI video tool. However, just 30 minutes later, OpenAI canceled work on the tool, adding to concerns surrounding Disney’s stock performance and leadership transition.

OpenAI’s decision put an end to a planned $1 billion, three-year partnership. Although not formally closed, the deal would have seen The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) invest and license over 200 characters. The key reason for the cancellation was constraints tied to Sora’s heavy computational demands. The move came as a surprise to both Disney’s internal teams and its partners.

Meanwhile, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) remains a “Buy” at Guggenheim as of March 18, 2026, although the firm reduced its price target from $140 to $115. The target adjustment reflects a reassessment of valuation metrics as well as leadership changes, with Josh D’Amaro assuming the CEO role. The investment firm pointed to the impact of past leadership changes, noting The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has underperformed the S&P 500 by 60% since Bob Iger returned in late 2022 and by 38% since Hugh Johnston became CFO in December 2023.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is a U.S.-based entertainment giant that produces films, TV shows, and digital content, and operates theme parks, resorts, and media networks worldwide, delivering storytelling, family entertainment, and immersive experiences across multiple platforms.

While we acknowledge the risk and potential of DIS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DIS and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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