Disney CEO’s First Week Marred by ‘Fortnite,’ OpenAI Woes

Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro hasn’t even been been in his new job for one week and he’s already seen two, billion-dollar technology bets falter —- with one of them unraveling entirely.

On Tuesday Epic Games Inc. announced that it was laying off 1,000 employees after new versions of its hit video game Fortnite failed to connect with fans. Disney announced a $1.5 billion investment in Epic two years ago that involves the creation of a whole new digital universe tied to Disney characters and stories.