Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse! Here's How Much A $1,000 Investment In Disney IPO Is Worth Now

Media giant Walt Disney Co DIS is one of the most well-known brands in the world. Thanks to the ownership of Mickey Mouse, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel characters, the company is among the largest players in brand licensing and movie and television content.

Here’s a look at the company’s iconic character’s birthday and its IPO decades ago.

What Happened: The Walt Disney Company was founded by brothers Roy and Walt Disney in 1923 and was previously known as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio.

Over the years, the company introduced its own brands, launched theme parks and acquired brands, all helping the company become a major player in several sectors including the streaming platform market.

Perhaps one of its best-known characters, Mickey Mouse is part of the company’s legend and a big part of licensing, content and theme parks. Mickey Mouse was first introduced to the world on Nov. 18, 1928, in a short titled “Steamboat Willie.”

His image changed slightly over the years, but the legend of the mouse lives on.

In 2022, Mickey Mouse turns 94 years old and is being celebrated with a new special “Mickey: The Story of a Mouse,” available exclusively on Disney’s streaming platform Disney+.

Fans of Disney and its theme parks know that there are more than 1,000 Hidden Mickeys hidden throughout Disney World in Florida. One of the unique Hidden Mickeys happens just once a year on his birthday when a Mickey logo appears at noon as the sun hits a certain location of the “Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid” ride queue.

The success of Mickey Mouse and the company’s theme parks has helped boost the stock over the years.

Related Link: The Happiest Place On Earth If You Can Afford It: Disney Theme Park Tickets Will Now Cost You Even More

Investing $1,000 in the IPO: Disney went public on Nov. 12, 1957, with Goldman Sachs leading the offering. Disney was previously over-the-counter and known as Walt Disney Productions with an offering in 1940.

Disney shares were priced at $13.88 at the time of the 1957 IPO. A $1,000 investment could have purchased 72.05 shares at the time.

Over the years, Disney has completed numerous stock splits. The original 72.05 share investment would be 28,896.18 shares today after stock splits.

The $1,000 investment would be worth $2,635,042.65 today, turning Disney IPO investors into millionaires if they kept the investment over the last 65 years.

Read Next: Winnie The Pooh Turned Into Horror Film, Could Mickey Mouse Be Next? 

Photo: Shutterstock