Musk’s Mega-Merger, Disney’s New CEO, & Patriots CEO Robert Kraft 2/3/26

Summary

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Squawk Pod: Musk’s Mega-Merger, Disney’s New CEO & Patriots CEO Robert Kraft

Date: February 3, 2026
Hosts: Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, Andrew Ross Sorkin
Special Guests: Robert Kraft, Julia Boorstin, Emily Wilkins

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Overview

This episode dives into three headline stories:

1. Elon Musk’s historic mega-merger—SpaceX’s acquisition of X.ai—aimed at creating a vertically integrated space-based AI powerhouse.
2. The leadership handover at Disney, with Josh D’Amaro tapped to succeed Bob Iger as CEO, and Dana Walden elevated to President & Chief Creative Officer.
3. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on his Super Bowl run and his campaign against antisemitism with the Blue Square Alliance.

The episode is rich with expert analysis, candid interviews, and thoughtful debate on implications for business, technology, and society.

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1. Musk’s Mega-Merger: SpaceX Buys X.ai

Segment Begins: 02:41

Key Points:

• Deal Details:

  • SpaceX (valued at $1 trillion) is acquiring X.ai (valued at $250 billion)—both private Elon Musk companies.
  • This is the largest private M&A deal in history.
  • Musk’s stated goal: Form “the most ambitious vertically integrated innovation engine on and off Earth,” combining AI, rockets, space-based internet, and social media (via X/Twitter).

• Strategic Rationale:

  • Musk envisions the next leap in AI coming from space-based data centers, leveraging solar power and natural cooling to drastically cut operating costs.
  • A recent FCC filing lays out a plan to launch up to 1 million satellites.

• Panel Analysis:

  • Andrew Ross Sorkin: Emphasizes the advantage (“no cooling needed, automatic power, networking at scale”), while raising antitrust and neutrality issues if only Musk and Jeff Bezos dominate space-based data centers.

    “It’s a game changer... but the question is whether you need to own the model [like X.ai] or just the infrastructure.” (07:07)

  • Joe Kernan: Compares Musk to “Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison… all rolled up into one.” (02:07)
  • Becky Quick: Points out the immense capital needs driving the push for an IPO. (04:31)

• Antitrust & Industry Power:

  • Questions arise about the future of competition and access if Musk’s network becomes essential infrastructure.
  • Should data centers in space be “Switzerland”—neutral and open to all AI players?
  • Implications for rivals like Anthropic if Musk controls both infrastructure and the models.

• Role of X/Twitter:

  • The value of Twitter is reconsidered, given its function as a “good data hose” for AI training.
  • Joe notes Musk might have been “three or four chess moves ahead,” now justifying the hefty price he paid for Twitter when tying it into the AI narrative. (08:32)

Notable Quotes

• Andrew Ross Sorkin (04:31):

  “If you want to get to AGI… you need the power to do it and the cost is so much lower [in space]…”

• Joe Kernan (02:07 / 05:56):

  “He’s like Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison and all these people all rolled up into one.” “Did you ever think you’d see a private company at a one and a quarter trillion dollars valuation?”

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2. Robert Kraft: Patriots’ Super Bowl & Combating Hate

Segment Begins: 15:26

Key Points:

• Super Bowl Ad and Blue Square Alliance:

  • Kraft launches a Super Bowl ad through the Blue Square Alliance to combat rising antisemitism and hate in America.
  • Ad aims for broad awareness, especially among youth and the general public who may be unaware of the scale of the problem.
  • The campaign is described as “not new” but now doubled down with data-driven education and community outreach.

• Rise in Antisemitic Incidents:

  • Becky Quick cites statistics: a 900% jump over 10 years, with 45% of Americans unaware of this rise.

• Kraft’s Mission:

  • Focused on education and unity:

    “You’re not born with hate. It’s learned and we have to find ways to push back on it.” (16:32)

  • Kraft stresses cross-community, team-based approaches, “like what you see in football,” to bring people together.

• Blue Square as a Symbol:

  • Hopes the Blue Square becomes a widely recognized sign of unity and love rather than hatred or division.

• Patriots’ Football Turnaround:

  • Kraft spent nearly half a billion dollars to revamp the Patriots, resulting in a return to the Super Bowl.
  • Discusses the investment in free agents, coaching, and infrastructure, crediting teamwork and community spirit.
  • On dynasty renewal:

    “You have to go year to year… But when you have a group of younger new people and you see their attitude… that’s what I love about the country.” (21:48)

Notable Quotes

• Robert Kraft (16:32):

  “Look, I love this country, and I’m really worried with the divisiveness and the hate that’s going on... That’s not what this country’s about.”

• Becky Quick (21:35):

  “Do you think you’re building a new dynasty here?”

• Robert Kraft (23:30):

  “My hope and dream is this blue square. It’s a symbol of unity… If people will just wear this blue square... and just think about love, not hate.”

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3. Disney Succession: Josh D’Amaro Succeeds Bob Iger

Segment Begins: 29:12 / 30:40

Key Points:

• Breaking News:

  • Josh D’Amaro, current head of Disney Experiences (theme parks/cruises), is named CEO effective March 18, 2026.
  • Dana Walden elevated to President & Chief Creative Officer.

• Rationale & Implications:

  • D’Amaro leads Disney’s largest division, $36 billion in 2025 revenue and 185,000 employees.
  • Succession handled by Chairman James Gorman, who sought a smooth, strategic transition.
  • Parks and experiences now contribute about two-thirds of operating income—emphasizing shift away from content alone to live and immersive experiences.
  • Increasing importance of global expansion (notably Abu Dhabi and big partnerships, e.g., Epic Games).

• Industry Significance:

  • The move signals Disney’s commitment to investing in physical and virtual experiences.
  • Julia Boorstin points out Walden’s role in shepherding Disney’s creative content/IP, now integrated more deeply with operational leadership.

Notable Quotes

• Julia Boorstin (29:12, 34:45):

  “The parks are already about two thirds of the company’s operating income… the IP is generated from the entertainment division and then monetized at the Experiences Division.”

• Bob Iger’s statement (paraphrased, 32:43):

  “Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader… the right person to become the CEO. He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, [and a] deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences.”

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4. Government Shutdown & Political Developments

Segment Begins: 10:30

Key Points:

• A possible end to the ongoing government shutdown, with bipartisan support building after lobbying from President Trump.
• Some immediate impacts—Friday’s job report will be delayed.
• Emily Wilkins highlights exhaustion in Congress and a rare sense of urgency/optimism to prevent prolonged shutdown.

Notable Quotes

• President Trump’s statement (via Emily Wilkins, 10:36):

  “We cannot have another long, pointless and destructive shutdown that will hurt our country so badly.”

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Memorable Moments & Commentary

• On Musk’s Approach:

  “Obviously he was about three or four chess moves, 3D chess moves ahead of everybody.” – Joe Kernan (08:51)

• On the Future of AI Infrastructure:

  “…An interesting antitrust issue way ahead of time… you’d want these data centers to be Switzerland up there so that anyone could use them.”—Producer/Tech Director (07:10)

• On Sports, America, and Unity:

  “[Football] does so much for the community and brings people together in such a unique way.” – Robert Kraft (01:20, 20:14)

• On Disney’s Future:

  “The good news is that both of them (D’Amaro and Walden) are staying…” – Producer/Tech Director (32:12)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Musk’s Mega-Merger - SpaceX & X.ai: 02:41 – 09:39
• Government Shutdown Coverage: 10:30 – 13:02
• Robert Kraft/Blue Square Alliance Interview: 15:26 – 28:39
• Disney CEO Transition Analysis: 29:12 – 35:52

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Summary Takeaway

This episode is a tour de force across business, tech, sports, and social activism—a must-listen for anyone tracking the intersection of innovation, leadership, and social responsibility in today’s America. Impressive insight into Musk’s ever-expanding ambitions, a real-time look at a generational CEO handoff at Disney, and Robert Kraft’s impassioned call for unity together mark a pivotal morning in news.

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Transcript

[Schwab Market Update Announcer]

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[Producer/Technical Director]

Bring in show music, please.

[Katie Kramer]

Hi, I'm CNBC producer Katie Kramer. Today on Squawk Pod, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. He is ready for his team's 11th Super bowl this Sunday, and he's using his platform and his wins to fight hate and antisemitism.

[Robert Kraft]

It does so much for the community and brings people together in such a unique way. So I thank the good Lord for helping us get to this point and hopefully we can close the order.

[Katie Kramer]

On Sunday, the talk of Hollywood, a Disney successor officially named Josh d', Amaro, head of Disney Theme Parks and Cruises, will take over for CEO Bob Iger. Julia Boorstin reports.

[Julia Boorstin]

Iger had been set to stay at Disney as CEO through the end of the year, but now the transition is going to happen as of March 18th.

[Katie Kramer]

Plus, a big deal, an Elon Musk company merging with an Elon Musk company.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Could he be running data centers in.

[Katie Kramer]

The sky, space and AI the final frontiers?

[Joe Kernan]

I think he's like Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison and all these people all rolled up into one. Yeah. All rolled up into one.

[Katie Kramer]

It's Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026. Squawk Pod begins right now.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Stand Becky by in three, two, one.

[Becky Quick]

Good morning, everybody. Welcome to Squawk Box right here on cnbc. We're live from the NASDAQ marketsite in Times Square. I'm Becky Quick, along with Joe Kernan and Andrew Ross Sorkin. And here we go on a Tuesday morning.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Meantime, let's talk about the big deal of the day, of the moment, maybe the year. Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX acquiring Musk's artificial intelligence company Xi. This comes ahead of a possible blockbuster IPO later this year for Space X. Reports say the deal values space X at $1 trillion and Xi at $250 billion. It would be the largest M and A deal in history and it's from two private companies. In a blog post, Musk saying that he wants to form, in his words, the most ambitious vertically integrated innovation engine on and off Earth, combining AI rockets, space based Internet and the social media platform. Now Musk says putting, putting AI infrastructure in space is the only way he believes ultimately to scale the technology by using solar power with what he claims will be much lower operating costs. An FCC filing last Friday showing that Space X wants to launch a constellation of 1 million satellites in to orbit. It's a huge deal. We'll see about the data center situation in space. Most of the folks that I know in this space, in this space, if you will, think that ultimately if you want to get to sort of AGI and you need the power to do it and the cost is so much lower, you do it up there. You don't have to. You don't have to. There's no cooling. And one of the reasons that these data centers are as large as they are is you need to cool them, you need the energy to power them, you need the networking effects. If you put it all in space, you have the automatic cooling, you have the automatic power. Everything is actually there's, there's basically no, no, nothing mechanical moving around and then it's basically a networking story. And so the question is, can you get the information up and down fast enough?

[Becky Quick]

And look, it makes more sense once you're up there. But it is an expensive proposition to get these things up in space, which is why they have to go public to raise the funds that they're going to need to do these things.

[Joe Kernan]

It's truly fascinating to think it through and I don't know what goes on.

[Producer/Technical Director]

In Musk's the question is whether you need to have it vertically integrated. That's the actual for this transaction itself. The question is, he argues that it's perfect vertical integration. Right, but do you actually need to have the large language model or could he be running data centers in the sky and having other people run their large language models on top of it? It's unclear whether you actually need the model itself to make that work. But the other piece of this is he is making good on his promise, which he has now done repeatedly to his investors, which is he has always said I am going to give me the money and I will give you money back. And he is doing that now. I say at this moment, he's doing it in shares. This is all stock, effectively. Even though we're talking about a private deal, it's an all stock deal. So effectively the folks who have invested in X originally are trading those shares for SpaceX shares. Having said that, I think there's actually more cash on hand, cash coming in in the SpaceX universe.

[Becky Quick]

You know, a company being privately held until it rolls out with a one and a quarter trillion dollars valuation. Did you ever think you would see the day?

[Joe Kernan]

And I'm not, I'm not ready to say it's overvalued dogs being traded for overvalued cats, because I don't think it is. And then I was just thinking Tesla, Neuralink, a million satellites. I mean this guy's got the boring company. Boring company. But he's really like, I think he's like Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison and all these people all rolled up. Yeah, all rolled up into one. And with all we hear about with people's electric bills as billionaires and water and as billionaires try to roll out AI and the common man can't, you know, paying $1,000 to heat his common woman. It's amazing that this is a workaround that seems really elegant in terms of thinking about it. I guess the solar power sans atmosphere is most much stronger up there for sure.

[Producer/Technical Director]

And when you take the gravity piece out of it in terms of the mechanics of these, these things, it's, it's a game changer. The question is how much does it cost to actually get it up there. But I still think there's a question about whether you need to own X.

[Joe Kernan]

I know, I know whether it's really.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Vertically do it in space. I think there's a secondary issue about having him own it, which is long term if he and Jeff Bezos are the only major players. For example, unless you think there's to be many more that are creating effectively data centers in space, do you actually want him to? I mean, this is a very interesting antitrust issue way ahead of time, but. No, no, but it's an interesting question because you'd want these data centers to effectively be Switzerland up there so that anyone could use them. There'd be no advantaging or favoring. I'd be okay with them being one or another. Sure. But, but I'm saying the question about Xai, if he owns a data center, ostensibly, if you are anthropic. And you say, hey, I need access to the data center. And he's like, well, I have Xai, I'm competing against you. Maybe I don't want to give you all of the resources that you want or I'm going to charge you through the nose for it in a different way. And there are interesting issues given this situation we're talking about. They're like five, ten years, five to ten years from now. But I imagine. Save the tape because I think we will end up having a conversation about this.

[Joe Kernan]

I just can't believe that Twitter is an important part of the whole equation either. But I guess it is because of Grok.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Well, it is insofar as.

[Joe Kernan]

But with what I see on Twitter.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Lately, it's like it's a good data hose. That's what it is.

[Joe Kernan]

Right. And he knew that when he paid for it. Is it now worth what he paid? Probably.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Is it now worth. You mean, did it pay off for him to own it?

[Joe Kernan]

Is Twitter now worth what he paid for?

[Producer/Technical Director]

Well, it's worth $250 billion. So you tell me.

[Joe Kernan]

Twitter with Xai, you mean?

[Producer/Technical Director]

Yes. So the question is, how much is the Twitter piece of it really worth? I don't know.

[Joe Kernan]

Well, that's my question. I don't know because it looked like he paid three times what he should have for it. And now it all maybe. I mean, obviously he was about three or four chess moves, 3D chess moves ahead of everybody.

[Becky Quick]

But he didn't want it at that.

[Producer/Technical Director]

I don't think he wanted it. I don't think he wanted it for this reason.

[Joe Kernan]

So now.

[Producer/Technical Director]

But now it's working. I think he's great at taking certain that he may not even be planning on.

[Becky Quick]

Right.

[Producer/Technical Director]

And I don't know that he had to mind a few years, shift them around. Same way. By the way, Solar City years ago.

[Becky Quick]

Which, by the way, was not a great.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Which was not a great deal. And was. And by the way, some people think he, you know, pushed it through governance and forced that thing through to be sold to Tesla. But the point was like, he'll, he'll create something and it doesn't always actually work out the way he originally plans, but then he'll find a new path.

[Becky Quick]

Yeah.

[Producer/Technical Director]

And by the way, when you own.

[Becky Quick]

All the businesses, Solar City was not a great deal, but the investors didn't care because they had made so much money with him anyway that they were willing to overlook that.

[Producer/Technical Director]

President Trump renewing his campaign against Harvard University in a late night social media post the president saying that his administration is seeking $1 billion from Harvard and it wants, in his words, nothing further to do into the future with Harvard University. The comments follow a New York Times story yesterday that said the president looking to end his administration's fight with Harvard and is no longer insisting on a $200 million payment from the school. Earlier this morning, the president followed up his initial social post with another one claiming that the Times story was incorrect. He demanded changes and also criticized the Times election coverage.

[Joe Kernan]

The House expected to hold a procedural vote today on ending the government shutdown. Emily Wilkins joins us now with more. Hey, Emily.

[Emily Wilkins]

Hey, Joe. Well, look, the shutdown, it could end as soon as this afternoon thanks to lobbying from Trump. Some of the key holdouts that we've seen over the week. They're now saying they're going to support the bill. And we know Trump met with several lawmakers yesterday trying to come up with a path forward for a bill with stricter voter id. So expect that to be a discussion point for the next few weeks. But Trump made another plea on Truth Social for lawmakers to back the bill, posting that he hopes that all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this bill and send it to my desk without delay. The Trump added, there can be no changes at this time. We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless and destructive shutdown that will hurt our country so badly. Of course, Speaker Mike Johnson is going to need to keep basically all of his members together for a key procedural vote later this morning, with the bill then getting final passage in the early afternoon. So long as he's successful there. That second and final vote is expected to be bipartisan. And even though the shutdown's only in its fourth day, we're already seeing it have an impact. Friday's job report will be delayed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They said they will reschedule the release when the government reopens. Guys.

[Joe Kernan]

All right. Yeah, we're not, we're not going to get the numbers we need.

[Emily Wilkins]

Right.

[Joe Kernan]

So we're already seeing some effects of things. Right, Emily, Again, yeah.

[Emily Wilkins]

I mean, even at this early stage, and of course, the longer it goes, the more impacts there are going to be. But I think a lot of hope and a lot of optimism that it's going to end today. And thanks to Trump, they've got the support they need on the Republican side.

[Joe Kernan]

It's weird that both sides seem to learn from the last one that no one wins. I guess so this has seemed a little different than last time, hasn't it?

[Emily Wilkins]

Absolutely, Joe. I mean, everyone was exhausted going into this. We were asking lawmakers how they felt about this funding deadline and just, you know, you could see it on their faces when you'd asked them about another shutdown. They didn't want to deal with it. They didn't think it was particularly effective. And I think everyone is kind of hoping to get the government funded and then figure out this DHS stuff exhaustive.

[Joe Kernan]

Mentally because no one's going to think that those people in Washington are exhausted from they're gone like half the time. They show up for votes. Maybe if they, you know, if they can fit it into, they're going to get jobs. No. That's what I said. Yeah.

[Producer/Technical Director]

All right.

[Joe Kernan]

Yeah. Thanks, Emily.

[Becky Quick]

Just thought we were getting our feedback under us. Here we go again.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Tease will be next.

[Katie Kramer]

Coming up on squawk pod, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft standing up against anti Semitism and hate this Super Bowl Sunday.

[Robert Kraft]

I love this country and I'm really worried with the divisiveness and the hate that's going on in so many different areas. That's not what this country's about. It's not why our ancestors came here.

[Katie Kramer]

His work at the Blue Square alliance and his work on the sidelines right after this break.

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[Robert Kraft]

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[Julia Boorstin]

What made you confident that you could do something that hadn't been done before? I have no fear of failure.

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Trailblazing women, changing the game.

[Emily Wilkins]

One of my favorite pieces of advice, think about what your boss's boss needs.

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Leadership can look in many, many different forms. It really does come down to just trying to.

[Becky Quick]

Life is short and you just gotta think big to accomplish big things.

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Julia Boorstin hosts CNBC Changemakers and Power Players. New episodes every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Katie Kramer]

This is Squawk Pod from cnbc.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Stand Andrew by in three, two, one, up. And Andrew Q. Mike, you're watching Squawk Box on cnbc. I'm Andrew Osorkin along with Joe Kernan and Becky Quick.

[Becky Quick]

Blue Square alliance founder and New England Patriots chairman Robert Kraft is behind an ad at this year's Super Bowl. It's focused on combating the rise in hate crimes and anti Semitism. And it's debuting this morning right here on Squawk Box.

[Robert Kraft]

Bro, look at him.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Did you see that?

[Robert Kraft]

Should we tell him so fast? Oh, my gosh.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Do not listen to that.

[Robert Kraft]

Thank you, man.

[Julia Boorstin]

I know how it feels.

[Becky Quick]

That's pretty powerful. Joining us right now to talk about it is Kraft Group Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. Robert, that's the first time I've seen that ad as well. And this is not a new campaign, but you all are doubling down on trying to go after hate and anti Semitism. What's happened since the Blue Square was launched, and what are you doing now?

[Robert Kraft]

Well, it's nice to be with you all. You know, we wanted to target an ad. Look, I love this country, and I'm really worried with the divisiveness of and the hate that's going on in so many different areas. That's not what this country is about. It's not why our ancestors came here. And it was a land of opportunity for everyone. And, you know, we saw back in 17 with Charlotteville and then the Tree of Life in 18, things going on that we had to stop. And unfortunately, I think the role of social media has put so many falsehoods out. And the bad trend that we see going on in our data center is young people falling into this trap and, you know, hate. You're not born with hate. It's learned, and we have to find ways to push back on it.

[Becky Quick]

I was looking at some of the numbers. The ADL says that anti Semitic incidents jumped about 900% over the last 10 years. And there's other statistics that show 45% of Americans remain unaware of rising anti Semitism. What is your hope? What do you think you can do? And I know you've put someone, Adam Katzen is the new president of the group to try and take this on. What's his plan?

[Robert Kraft]

Well, it's about education and making sure Everyday Americans understand that this is happening. You know, we have a data center tied to over 500 million websites throughout the world, and we show that 60% of Americans don't believe that antisemitism as a form of hate is really as bad as it is. And we're trying to educate those people. Just like that young black man in the ad. He's experienced it, and he connected and tried to relate, and we tried to speak to everyday Americans, younger Americans, because we're so concerned. And our ads are having an impact of that. 60%, 30% are willing to stand up and do something after they see our ads. And we have to just keep educating the good people of America. What's going on.

[Becky Quick]

Robert, thank you for leading this. Just thank you for bringing these things. Obviously, we'll be watching for this at the super bowl, but that's not the only thing we're watching at the Super Bowl. We're going to be watching the Patriots there. And I would say just a year ago, even at the beginning of this season, nobody thought that the Patriots were going to be back in the Super Bowl. I didn't realize the amount of money and effort that you had poured into rebuilding this franchise. I knew about the changes at the coaches. I knew about the. The quarterback who's done amazing things. You know, to see Drake may really perform like this. I didn't realize you'd spent $365 million on free agents. And when you total it up with the changes in the coaching staff, the new practice facility, close to half a billion dollars. Did you think when you were pouring that money in that you would see results like this so quickly?

[Robert Kraft]

Well, it was my big dream, Becky. You know, when you want to compete in this world today, especially in our business, everybody wants to win badly. So you got to do a lot of the little things that allow people to put team first and come together. And, you know, one of the nice things we saw, we were privileged after seven years to have a couple home playoff games. And when you see the crowd, it was like 25 years ago when we had the privilege of winning our first Super Bowl. You have people of all backgrounds, all skin, skin color, ethnicity, religions, all rooting for the home team. And it gave me such a positive feeling to hear that. And it's so good for the community. So therefore, our family wants to do everything we can to put our team in the best position to be able to win games. It does so much for the community and brings people together in such a unique way. So I thank the good Lord, for helping us get to this point. And hopefully we can close the order on Sunday.

[Becky Quick]

You think you're building a new dynasty here? People are looking at the age of your players. I think one of the oldest on the roster was only brought in and drafted in in 2020. Is this a new franchise?

[Robert Kraft]

Well, I sure hope so, but I've learned this is a business. You have to go year to year. You know, you have physical injuries, you get people hired away, and you have to look at each year as a separate year. We've been very privileged over the last 20, 25 years to do okay. But it's a real battle every year. So our focus now is on this coming Sunday. And I'll tell you what's wonderful, though. When you have a group of younger new people and you see their attitude and how much they. They want to do things for one another, that's what I love about the country. And it's actually what we're trying to do with the Blue alliance, get that same kind of feeling and have it be a team effort because we're protecting America and keeping America open.

[Becky Quick]

You know, Robert, people know you, particularly on this show. Our viewers know you. But what you did in terms of building up your father's small company into the incredible global presence that it holds today, what you did with buying the patriots for under $200 million, and I think your wife was not thrilled about it. She worried it would bankrupt you. Watching what you've done not only with the Patriots, but also with the NFL writ large. You see big things and you accomplish them. What is your hope with Blue Square? Where do you think you can be with this project, say, in the next five years?

[Robert Kraft]

Well, my hope and dream is this blue square. It's a symbol of unity, and we have sisterhood, brotherhood. And when we live in such a transactional world and things are going so fast, if people will just wear this blue square and we put it on all our emails and texts, and people see it and it gets them to stop for a moment and just think about love and not hate. Because I've never. I have a few years on you, and I've never seen things like this in America. And I mean, just think people who go to worship in a synagogue, there's armed guards in 2026 in the United States of America, or they're afraid to wear a Star of David because what will happen? That's not good. That's not good for anyone in America. And we want to stop it. And I think the blue square is just A symbol of sisterhood, brotherhood and love.

[Becky Quick]

Wear it proudly. And we're glad to see that this kind of pales in comparison to what you're talking about. But there is a report out this morning from espn. Sources are telling them that you were not voted into the hall of fame class of 2026. Bill Belichick had not been voted in. And I know you gave an issue of support for him earlier this week. Goodell has said he believes you will be in the hall of Fame. Does that matter to you?

[Robert Kraft]

What matters to me is we win Sunday. That's a function how the team we're involved with and organized. And I can't speak on issues where other people are voting or doing things.

[Joe Kernan]

Robert, I remember watching a couple of times and not really maybe the first game of this year, but watching you and Jonathan, you know, they always show you guys in the box and you just looked weird losing. And I could just tell that you and Jonathan really didn't like it. And there were a couple of times where things happened, like, late in the game that didn't go your way. You probably should have won. And you were like, I could just tell. But I'm still shocked that you're back in the catbird seat just this quick. And it's fun to watch. And, man, how does that. You found Brady. No one knew his name at Michigan, hardly. And this guy, I just don't see how it happened so quickly.

[Robert Kraft]

Well, we're privileged to have good people. We have good analytic skills, and I think the good Lord's hands at work. And we're trying to create an environment where people can do what they do best. And yeah, we. I'll tell you, there's no worse feeling than losing on a Sunday.

[Joe Kernan]

Other teams do it every Sunday. So many teams have never. I mean, you are blessed with what if you win seven? No one's ever won seven, have they?

[Robert Kraft]

No, no, we. Please God, we'd be the first team to do that. But I'll just tell you, my new wife, Dana, you know, she went through the last two years at 4 and 13, and beginning of the year, she said to Vrabel, my weeks are a lot better when we win very few. So I think he must have taken it.

[Joe Kernan]

You never skipped any better. Didn't matter what city cold. I would see, you know, no matter where. The Patriots. I can't believe he's still showing up for this. Or like foreign. But you were there.

[Robert Kraft]

Yeah. No, we're very fortunate. And you know what? And what the NFL and our team symbolizes this year is the greatest part of America. People from all backgrounds putting their egos down and putting team first. We need more of that in this country and love of this country. And we're so excited and honored to be here and it's going to be a fun weekend.

[Becky Quick]

It is. And we are glad you are here with us first. Maybe you come back next week. Robert, show off.

[Robert Kraft]

I'd love to. You know, we've shown this, this is the third year we've done the super bowl ad because there's nothing the exposure that to all of America that you get and this program. I know Jonathan and I, we love watching you guys. It's a great way to get educated quickly on what's important.

[Producer/Technical Director]

So we want, we want you to come back next week with the rings on, though. That's the rings. That's what we're looking for here.

[Joe Kernan]

But he's only got five rings.

[Producer/Technical Director]

I know, but when he gets a.

[Becky Quick]

New ring, that's stolen.

[Producer/Technical Director]

You may get a new ring, but.

[Joe Kernan]

You know what I'm talking about.

[Becky Quick]

Yeah.

[Joe Kernan]

Vladimir Putin, he still got it, doesn't he? We should have known then that guy was trouble.

[Becky Quick]

Bob, Robert, thank you very much. It looks like we lost the shot, but we will be watching this weekend what happens on the field, what's happening with the Super Bowl AD2 from the blue square. And we appreciate Robert, we appreciate him coming on today too.

[Katie Kramer]

Still to come on our podcast, big news from the House of Mouse. Bob Iger leaving the CEO role to Josh d', Amaro, the current head of Disney experiences like theme parks and cruises. CNBC's Julia Boorstin breaks down the announcement.

[Julia Boorstin]

This is an incredibly important part of the company in a lot of ways. The IP is generated from the entertainment division and then monetized at the experiences division.

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[Julia Boorstin]

What made you confident that you could do something that hadn't been done before? I have no fear of failure.

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Trailblazing women, changing the game.

[Emily Wilkins]

One of my favorite pieces of advice, think about what your boss's boss needs.

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Leadership can look in many, many different forms. It really does come down to just trusting yourself.

[Becky Quick]

Life is short and you just gotta think big to accomplish big things.

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Julia Boorstin hosts CNBC Changemakers and Power Players, new episodes every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Katie Kramer]

Welcome back to Squawk Pod with Joe Kernan, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin. Here's Becky with one of the day's biggest headlines.

[Becky Quick]

Julia Boorstin joins us right now with some breaking news. Julia, good morning.

[Julia Boorstin]

Breaking news from Disney. Josh d', Amaro, who had been head of the parks division, is being named the next CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Dana Walden, who is co chair of the entertainment group, is becoming president and chief creative officer. This was announced today as of a unanimous vote held on Monday. And Disney Experiences chairman Josh Marr becoming chief executive officer. This will, this is effective as of the annual meeting on March 18th. He will succeed CEO Bob Iger. Demaro is also going to be appointed as a director immediately following the meeting. What's important here to acknowledge is that Iger had been set to stay at Disney as CEO through the end of the year, but now the transition is going to happen as of March 18 at that shareholder meeting. Just a couple of notes about tomorrow. He is head of the company's largest business segment, $36 billion in annual revenue in fiscal 2025, 185,000 cast members and employees. And he has been at Disney for 28 years, overseeing the largest global expansion in Disney history, making a couple of key deals. He oversees consumer products as well as parks and cruises and made a big deal to expand into Abu Dhabi, also some new cruise ships, as well as a big deal with Epic Games. This has been announced by James Gorman, who is chairman of the board of directors. And Gorman will be joining us for a first on CNBC interview.

[Producer/Technical Director]

It's a big deal. It's a big, big deal. The reaction, I mean, I think this was was signaled even in the past couple of days. What do you think the reaction in Hollywood is going to be? I know a lot of people, you know, I think a year ago, you know, Dana seemed to be in the bird seat or in the, the bird seat. What's the cat. Bird, catbird seat. And sort of how you think about this, I mean, it's, it's the good news is that both of them are staying. I think there was always a question, would it be one or the other?

[Julia Boorstin]

Yeah, I think one of the reasons why Gorman was selected to be in this role overseeing the succession process is because he had such a good track record of not just managing succession before, but also maintaining the rudder UPS, if you will, at the company when he was managing this process at Morgan Stanley. So I think what's essential here is that both Tomorrow and Dana Walden are being elevated. Dana Walden as co chair of the entertainment division along with Alan Bergman has been overseeing the intellectual property that is the engine of the entire Walt Disney company. So while Tomorrow oversees the profit engine in that the theme parks are the biggest contributor to operating income by far, the entertainment division is the one overseeing the intellectual property. And so by elevating her to president and Chief Creative officer, not only do they retain her at the company, but they also make sure she's having that oversight over every part of the, of the content business. So I think it's really important that they did maintain both of them here. We're just going through this press release here. Bob Iger quoted in the release saying that Josh Tomorrow is an exceptional leader, the right person to become the CEO. He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences. So I think the idea here is that they will be partnered and together their complementary experiences and expertise will help them lead this company as it manages the challenges for, for the next several years. And we see shares up about 1 1/2% premarket.

[Producer/Technical Director]

What does it say that, that the head of parks is now running this, this business in terms of what the future of this business is? I was reading Matt Bellamy overnight who was just making the point that when you think about the parks and some of the cruises and some of the big capex spending that's, that's going on in terms of the future of this company, that it may actually be in live events or in the, in that portion of the business. Even more so than what we've traditionally thought of when it comes to Disney.

[Julia Boorstin]

Well, I think when you think of Disney, you think of the movie studio, think of Disney plus. But the reality is that the parks are already about two thirds of the company's operating income. If you look just at this most recent quarter that it was announced yesterday, the parks had three times the operating income of the entertainment division. So the parks have not only been an essential part of the company for years, but especially when you look at the capital expenditures and the 10 year plan that Disney has put into place for parks and experiences expansion, the fact that they're now expanding, expanding to Abu Dhabi without the capital expenditures there, but with other investments, this is an incredibly important part of the company. And in a lot of ways the IP is generated from the entertainment division and then monetized at the Experiences Division. And I think it's also important to acknowledge that tomorrow is not just doing the in person experiences of the parks and cruise ships, etc. But also the video game business, the epic game partnership. That he was a really big one to bring Disney characters into Fortnite. So both real world and virtual experiences at the forefront for Disney going forward.

[Producer/Technical Director]

Okay, Julia, nice to see you. Thank you. Big news, the Mouse House. A lot of people are going to be talking about this one. Thanks.

[Katie Kramer]

That is Squawk Pod for today. Thanks for listening. Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernan, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin. Tune in weekday mornings on CNBC at 6 Eastern. Follow squawkpod wherever you get your podcasts for the best of our show. Listen anytime you want. Have a great day. We'll meet you right back here tomorrow.

[Producer/Technical Director]

We are clear. Thanks guys.

[Becky Quick]

Thank you so much.

[Julia Boorstin]

What made you confident that you could do something that hadn't been done before? I have no fear of failure.

[1-800-Flowers.com Advertiser]

Pleasing women, changing the game.

[Emily Wilkins]

One of my favorite pieces of advice, think about what your boss's boss needs.

[1-800-Flowers.com Advertiser]

Leadership can look in many, many different forms. It really does come down to just trusting yourself.

[Becky Quick]

Life is short and you just gotta think big to accomplish big things.

[1-800-Flowers.com Advertiser]

Julia Boorstin hosts CNBC Changemakers and Power Players. New episodes every Tuesday. Wherever you get your podcasts.