While Disney is a successful multi-million dollar company, here are some details of how it all unraveled. Including the bankruptcy of Walt Disney back then (early 1920s): The Wikipedia Quote: "Laugh O'Gram Studio - Presented as "Newman Laugh-O Grams," Disney's cartoons became widely popular in the Kansas City area. Through the success of Laugh-O Grams, Disney was able to acquire his own studio and hire a vast number of additional animators, including Fred Harman's brother Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, and his close friend Ubbe Iwerks. Unfortunately, with all his high employee salaries unable to make up for studio profits, Walt was unable to successfully manage money and as a result, the studio would become loaded with debt. The studio would eventually wind up bankrupt; Disney then set his sig