Bob Chapek gets $100,000 a month in a Vail Resorts board fight

An activist investor wants the former Disney CEO on the board of the Epic Pass company, along with Olympic skier Picabo Street. Vail says he didn’t mention the deal when they met.

Bob Chapek has a new gig, and it pays pretty well.

The former Disney CEO is being paid $100,000 a month by an activist investment firm, according to SEC filings. It wants him on the board of Vail Resorts, the ski company behind the Epic Pass. The Wall Street Journal reported the deal first, WDW News Today said Friday, Oct. 23.

Vail is fighting back. And its filing says Chapek told its CEO he didn’t want to be part of an activist fight, after he’d already signed on.

Here’s what’s going on.

Who is paying Bob Chapek $100,000 a month?

Oasis Management, a Hong Kong-based investment firm led by Seth Fischer. Oasis owns about 9.6% of Vail Resorts’ stock, according to its proxy filing from Oct. 13.

Chapek signed a letter agreement with Oasis on July 28, 2026. Under it, Oasis pays him $100,000 a month through Vail’s 2026 annual meeting for consulting and for running as one of its board nominees.

If he’s elected, Oasis will also give him a $500,000 forgivable loan to buy Vail stock, the filing says. Oasis also agreed to cover his expenses and protect him from certain legal claims.

Who else is Oasis trying to put on Vail’s board?

Three more people, for four seats in all. The nominees are Chapek, investor M. Ashton Hudson, venture capitalist Bryce Roberts and Olympic skiing champion Picabo Street.

If all four won, they’d still be a minority on Vail’s board, Oasis said.

Oasis argues Vail’s guest experience has “stagnated for years,” pointing to long lines, crowding and pricey food at its mountains. It also says Vail’s stock has lost value over the last one, three and five years. WDWNT reported the stock has fallen more than 50% in five years.

Why does Oasis want Bob Chapek?

His theme park resume. Oasis says Chapek ran Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products division and oversaw more than $20 billion in investments in parks, hotels and cruise ships. That includes Shanghai Disneyland and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Oasis thinks that background would help Vail with guest experience and pricing. Vail runs 42 mountain resorts and ski areas, so it’s a big hospitality business, too.

What did Bob Chapek tell Vail’s CEO?

That’s where it gets messy. Vail CEO Rob Katz met with Chapek over video on Aug. 13 at Oasis’ request, Vail’s Oct. 19 proxy filing says.

Chapek talked up his Disney experience. He also mentioned that his memoir, Behind the Castle Walls, would cover his time as Disney CEO and “might be controversial,” according to the filing.

Then he said “he would not want to be involved in an activist fight,” Vail wrote. But Chapek had already signed his agreement with Oasis on July 28, more than two weeks earlier.

Oasis’ filing tells it a little differently. It says Katz interviewed Chapek alone, and when Oasis asked how it went, Katz wrote back, “Went well. He is a thoughtful guy.”

What is Vail Resorts telling shareholders?

To vote no. Vail’s board “does NOT endorse any of the Oasis Nominees,” its filing says, and it’s urging shareholders to back its own nine nominees.

Vail also raised concerns about how Chapek handled the Oasis agreement, WDWNT reported. Oasis, Vail and Chapek didn’t comment to the Journal.

Oasis’ preliminary filing left the meeting date blank.

Is Bob Chapek’s memoir out?

Yes. Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth covers his time running Disney’s parks and his short run as CEO. That ended when Disney fired him in November 2022 and brought back Bob Iger.

Chapek has been on a media tour for the book. It sold about 2,400 copies in its first week, as PNP reported Oct. 15.

Why does this matter to Disney fans?

Because Vail is basically a theme park company with snow. It sells season passes, runs hotels and restaurants, and deals with the same complaints Disney fans know well: lines, crowds and prices.

If Chapek wins a seat, the guy who brought Disney Genie+ to the parks could end up weighing in on the Epic Pass.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Vail Resorts’ preliminary proxy statement (Oct. 19, 2026), the Aug. 13 meeting, Chapek’s agreement terms and the board’s recommendation

• Oasis Management’s preliminary proxy statement (Oct. 13, 2026), the stake, nominees, payment terms and Katz’s email

• WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (Oct. 23, 2026), the Wall Street Journal’s report and Vail’s stock decline

• Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 15, 2026), the memoir’s first-week sales

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.