On what would have been Dave Hollis’ 48th birthday, his family announced that the former Disney executive had passed away. Dave oversaw a period of stunning success at Disney while working as the company’s President of Worldwide Distribution. Under his stewardship, Disney became the first studio to cross $7 billion globally in a year.
Therefore, his resignation shocked many people. Dave wrote in Get Out of Your Own Way: “In what many saw as a crazy move, I quit. I left a great job full of security, opting out of a guaranteed multi-million-dollar annual salary and a position full of clout and prestige. I walked away to chase dreams with my wife.”
Dave and his then-wife Rachel thrived, creating a multimedia empire dubbed the Hollis Company.
Dave Hollis spent time in the hospital due to heart-related issues
A family representative told TODAY that Dave Hollis had spent some time in the hospital due to ‘heart-related issues’. The rep didn’t specify the nature of Dave’s heart condition or whether it contributed to his death. Dave died at the family home in Austin, Texas, on 11th February 2023.
Dave left behind his ex-wife Rachel and their four children: Noah, Ford, Sawyer, and Jackson. “We are devastated,” Rachel wrote on Instagram. “I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them. Please wrap the kids in prayers as we try and navigate the unthinkable.”
Dave’s on-and-off love interest, Heidi Powell, a fitness trainer, posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram, stating, like Rachel, that she couldn’t find the right words to describe her emotions. Heidi continued:
“I’m heartbroken and totally devastated. I’m sick. My kids miss you so much. Our world is rocked. I will never be the same. I’m not sure how forward looks without a piece of your love. The best love I’ve ever been given. Other-worldly kind of love. I cannot believe this is real. I don’t know the right words.”