Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner is understood for being a wonderful communicator, and that was on full show this week as he navigated Elon Musk’s flurry of accusations towards Apple. A brand new report from the Monetary Instances this weekend gives a deeper have a look at how former Apple executives view Cook dinner’s expertise, with the caveat that there’s one problem he hasn’t but resolved…
The final week has been a whirlwind in relation to the connection between Elon Musk and Apple. The brand new Twitter proprietor began the week off with a collection of rapid-fire tweets accusing Apple and Tim Cook dinner of halting its promoting spend on Twitter, suggesting that they “hate free speech.”
For Apple, it was a PR nightmare of kinds, as Musk inspired his military of followers to start out a “revolution towards on-line censorship in America” and known as on Apple to “publish all censorship actions it has taken that have an effect on its prospects.”
Musk additionally stated that Apple had “threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Retailer,” however wouldn’t clarify why. Somewhat than have interaction publicly, Tim Cook dinner privately invited Musk to Apple Park for a gathering. Musk then took to Twitter to thank Cook dinner for the assembly and tour of Apple Park, including that the whole lot was a “misunderstanding.”
The Monetary Instances spoke to a “former Apple veteran of greater than 10 years” concerning Cook dinner’s potential to placate somebody like Musk:
“I’m positive Tim charmed him,” the particular person stated. “He wished to listen to [Musk] out. And I’m positive Tim gave his perspective. That’s what Tim does: he rolls up his sleeves and fixes issues. He’s not into massive public disputes, whether or not it’s a PR dispute or one thing extra contentious. That’s not his MO. He’s not like Elon.”
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak added that Cook dinner’s “finest talent is simply understanding the necessity to handle everybody” and “being multidisciplinary and never having a favourite.”
John Sculley, who severed as Apple CEO earlier than Steve Jobs returned to the corporate, elaborated additional:
“The primary trillion {dollars} got here from Jobs and Ive, the following trillion got here from what Tim Cook dinner has executed. He does it in a quiet means and doesn’t draw consideration to himself, however he does a exceptional job. If you maintain an iPhone in your hand, the names that come to thoughts instantly are Steve Jobs and Jony Ive, however the contributions Tim Cook dinner has made are simply as related.”
The China drawback
However with all of that stated, the Monetary Instances makes word of the most important disaster Tim Cook dinner has but to resolve — and even publicly touch upon. Apple is closely depending on China for manufacturing, and as we’ve lined over the current weeks, its main “iPhone Metropolis” has been rocked by Covid shutdowns and protests.
Apple additionally made the controversial choice to restrict performance of AirDrop in China after protesters used the characteristic to unfold supplies in opposition to the Chinese language authorities.
A report from the Wall Road Journal says that Apple is urgent forward with its efforts to diversify its provide chain exterior of China. Because it does that, nevertheless, China will nonetheless stay an extremely essential market section for Apple by way of iPhone gross sales.
Throughout a go to to Washington DC this week to fulfill with lawmakers and attend the White Home State Dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron, Cook dinner was requested by a reporter “whether or not he helps Chinese language residents’ proper to protest.” He didn’t reply.
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