How Pixar creative genius John Lasseter became the next Walt Disney and built a $10 billion empire

John Lasseter might not be a household name on the level of Walt Disney, but he's certainly just as important in the animation world.

The man with an affinity for movie-themed Hawaiian shirts has been the chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios since the House of Mouse purchased Pixar in 2006.

No studio can match the creativity, heart, and cleverness found in all Pixar films, and it seems those principles can be traced back to Lasseter.

"You want the movies to touch people," Lasseter said in an interview for Pixar's 30th anniversary this year. "Make 'em funny, make 'em beautiful, make 'em scary, but in the end you want that heart of the movie to be so strong."

Lasseter's and Pixar's success are linked. He cofounded the animation studio that has now made nearly $10 billion worldwide. He championed computer animation at a time when the technology was still quite infantile. He created and directed "Toy Story," which started it all (there have been about 250 computer-animated films since). He kept asking questions that resulted in better animation all around and better Pixar films.

Take a look at how John Lasseter came to be the creative mind he is and how he helped to create the Pixar empire.