I'm not chasing independence, I'm chasing Walt Disney. I'm

The entrepreneur and visionary Byron Allen, a man who rose from humble beginnings to challenge the very pillars of the entertainment world, once declared: “I’m not chasing independence, I’m chasing Walt Disney. I’m looking for a large piece of that box-office pie, not a tiny piece of that box-office pie.” These words are not merely about commerce — they are about ambition, vision, and the courage to dream beyond the limits that others would impose. In them, Allen reveals the mind of a builder, one who refuses to be satisfied with fragments when the whole feast of creation is before him. His statement is a modern echo of an ancient truth: that greatness is not found in escape from power, but in the mastery of it.

At its heart, this quote speaks of scale — the difference between surviving and shaping the world. When Byron Allen says he is not “chasing independence,” he does not mean that freedom is unworthy. Rather, he sees that independence without influence can become isolation — a small flame burning quietly in the dark, unseen by the multitudes. He seeks not the solitude of a single artist, but the enduring legacy of a creator like Walt Disney, whose imagination built an empire that has outlived generations. For Allen, true independence is not withdrawal from the system, but dominion within it — the ability to change it from the inside, to write new rules where old ones excluded him.

The origin of this vision lies in Allen’s own journey through hardship and determination. Born in Detroit, raised by a single mother, and beginning his career in comedy, he grew up in an America where few Black entrepreneurs could even dream of owning networks or media companies. Yet, like the ancient craftsmen who learned every art of their trade so that none could deny their mastery, Allen taught himself the mechanics of the industry — distribution, ownership, negotiation, and vision. His words about “chasing Walt Disney” are not boastful; they are prophetic. They tell of a man who understands that the only way to break the ceiling is to build a new sky.

In this, his story mirrors those of the great dreamers of history — those who refused to settle for survival when creation was possible. Consider Alexander the Great, who, when shown the limits of his empire, wept that there were no more worlds to conquer. His was not greed, but the spirit of expansion — the hunger to see how far human will could go. Byron Allen carries this same spirit into the modern realm, but his battlefield is not of swords, but of contracts, studios, and ideas. Just as Alexander sought to unify the world through conquest, Allen seeks to unify opportunity through ownership — to ensure that those once left outside the palace of power can now sit at its highest table.

His words also reveal a deep truth about ambition: that the pursuit of greatness is not arrogance, but duty. Too often, the world tells those of humble origins to be content with small victories — to be grateful for survival rather than to strive for sovereignty. But Allen, like every visionary before him, reminds us that mediocrity is the enemy of destiny. “A tiny piece” of the pie may sustain, but it will never transform. To change the world, one must not nibble at the edges of opportunity; one must seize the heart of it. His quest for the “large piece” is not greed — it is purpose made manifest.

In the ancient tales, we find this same spirit in those who sought to build legacies beyond their own lifetimes. Walt Disney himself, whom Allen invokes, was not born into privilege; he began as an artist sketching mice and castles, dismissed by many as a dreamer. Yet his imagination reshaped culture, created joy across continents, and gave birth to a kingdom of storytelling. Byron Allen, in naming Disney, pays homage not only to a man but to a principle — that creativity, when married to enterprise, can become immortal. He reminds us that the dreamer must also be the builder, for only then can the dream endure.

From his words, we may draw a lesson both ancient and urgent: dream not only of freedom, but of power. For freedom without creation fades; but creation, driven by purpose, reshapes the world. Seek not merely to escape the walls, but to own the land upon which they stand. Do not be content with being independent of the system — learn it, master it, and remake it so that others may follow. This is not selfish ambition, but sacred ambition — the desire to turn one’s struggle into a bridge for others.

Thus, Byron Allen’s declaration becomes not a boast, but a call to courage. Let all who hear it remember: greatness is not the privilege of the chosen few; it is the inheritance of all who dare to claim it. To chase one’s own “Walt Disney” is to chase immortality — not in name, but in impact. For the true measure of a life is not how small a piece we accept, but how boldly we reach for the whole — to create, to lead, and to leave behind something larger than ourselves. That is the destiny of those who refuse to settle for crumbs when they were born to shape kingdoms.