The business pages regularly gave us snippets of news about one director or another who, having exercised options to either buy or sell the company's shares at a preferential rate, pocket either a modest of a major profit. Mickey Mouse money compared to the coup pulled off by Michael Eisner, chief executive in the kingdom of the Disney Corporation. Should the share option paper-shufflers require a chief wizard, Eisner is fully qualified, having just awarded himself a £350 million Christmas stock option bonus.

Eisner, who put back some of the magical earning power into Disney since he took over the reins 13 years ago, created his own dollar fantasia, buying seven million shares for £80 million, and cashing them in as the stock rocketed to £61 a share, producing stardust gains of £430 million. He still retains 3.6 million shares worth close to £220 million. Old Uncle Walt, whose stinginess was legendary, would not have looked favourably on the new breed of corporate Lion King.