How Tim Cook Appeased Elon Musk, According to Three Former Apple Executives

Apple CEO Tim Cook is known as an excellent communicator, and that was on full display this week as he navigated Elon Musk’s wave of accusations against Apple. New report from financial times This weekend offers a deeper look at how former Apple executives view Cook’s skills, with the caveat that there’s one problem he has yet to solve…

The past week has been a whirlwind when it comes to the relationship between Elon Musk and Apple. Twitter’s new owner kicked off the week with a series of quick tweets accusing Apple and Tim Cook of halting ad spending on Twitter, suggesting they “hate freedom of speech.”

For Apple, it was a PR nightmare of sorts, with Musk encouraging his army of followers to start a “revolution against internet censorship in America” ​​and calling on Apple to “publish all censorship measures it has taken that affect its customers.”

Musk also said that Apple “threatened to block Twitter from its App Store,” but did not explain why. Instead of engaging publicly, Tim Cook privately invited Musk to Apple Park for a meeting. Musk then took to Twitter to thank Cook for the meeting and tour at Apple Park, adding that everything was a “misunderstanding.”

The financial times He spoke to “an ex-Apple veteran of more than 10 years” about Cook’s ability to mollify someone like Musk:

“I’m sure Tim charmed him,” said the person. He wanted to hear [Musk] Outside. And I’m sure Tim gave his point. That’s what Tim does: he rolls up his sleeves and fixes problems. He’s not into major public controversies, whether that be a PR dispute or something more controversial. This is not his mo. It’s not like Elon.”

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak added that Cook’s “best skill is just understanding the need to take care of everyone” and “being multidisciplinary and not having a favourite”.

John Sculley, who left the CEO position of Apple before Steve Jobs returned to the company, explained in more detail:

“The first trillion dollars came from Jobs and Ive, the next trillion came from what Tim Cook did. He does it quietly and doesn’t draw attention to himself, but he does a great job. When you hold the iPhone in your hand, the names that immediately come to mind are Steve Jobs and Johnny Eve, but the contributions made by Tim Cook are just as important.”

China problem

But with all that said, the financial times He notes the biggest crisis that Tim Cook has yet to solve – or even comments publicly on it. Apple relies heavily on China for manufacturing, and as we’ve covered over recent weeks, its primary “iPhone City” has been hit by Covid lockdowns and protests.

Apple also made the controversial decision to limit AirDrop functionality in China after protesters used the feature to post material opposing the Chinese government.

report from Wall Street Journal He says Apple is moving ahead with its efforts to diversify its supply chain outside of China. However, China will continue to be a very important market segment for Apple in terms of iPhone sales.

During a visit to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with lawmakers and attend a White House dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron, Cook was asked by a reporter “whether he supports the right of Chinese citizens to protest.” did not answer.

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