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Tim Cook

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Tim Cook was appointed CEO in 2011 when Steve Jobs stepped away from the company as his health worsened. Cook was handpicked by Jobs to be his replacement, having served as a close friend of Jobs during their entire career together.

A graduate of Auburn University with a degree in industrial engineering, Cook earned his Masters from Duke University’s School of business. Prior to joining Apple, Cook spent 12 years at IBM, then served as the Chief Operating Officer of Intelligent Electronics. He then had a short stint at Compaq.

Cook first joined Apple in 1998 after being recruited by Jobs. Cook remarked in a commencement address at Auburn University that, five minutes into his interview with Jobs, he knew he wanted to join Apple. “My intuition already knew that joining Apple was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work for the creative genius,” he remarked.

At Apple, Cook started out as senior vice president of worldwide operating. He served as interim CEO in 2009 while Steve Jobs was on medical leave. In 2011, Cook again stepped in to lead day-to-day operations while Jobs was ill, before ultimately being named CEO permanently just before the death of Jobs.

Cook has been very outspoken on a variety of social issues, including the need to protect user data and privacy, as evident by his vocal refusal to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino gunmen. Cook has also voiced his displeasure with controversial legislation that enables LGBT discrimination in a handful of states in the United States. Likewise, Cook has frequently called on the United States Congress to pass LGBT protection legislation. He became the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company in 2014, as well. Cook has led Apple in the San Francisco Pride Parade in recent years.

View all Tim Cook-related articles below:

Tim Cook defends Apple coming late to AI with four words

Cook defends Apple coming late to AI with four words | Cook posing with Vision Pro display

While the iPhone 16 launch was all about Apple Intelligence, many have accused the company of being very late to the AI party. Indeed, a new piece yesterday suggested that this view is shared by many inside the company.

But Apple CEO Tim Cook argues in a new interview that he doesn’t see it that way, and says that the company has taken its time with AI for the same reason it has with every innovation …

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Tim Cook sells $50M worth of AAPL shares, but the timing is coincidental

Tim Cook sells $50M worth of AAPL shares | Illustrative stock image of graphs and calculator app

Apple CEO Tim Cook has sold AAPL shares worth more than $50M at a time when the stock is close to an all-time high – but the timing is coincidental.

The stock value broke $200 per share back in June, hitting a record $236 in July. There’s been a little up-and-down since then, with Cook selling his shares at an average value of $227 …

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Jimmy Fallon and Tim Cook walk in Central Park, talking iPhone 16, AI, and mustard

Jimmy Fallon and Tim Cook at the Fifth Avenue store, Fallon wearing Vision Pro

With Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting New York for the iPhone 16 launch, comedian and The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon took a walk with him in Central Park.

Cook said that he tried to visit the Fifth Avenue store every iPhone launch “because it’s sort of the center of the world, and the enthusiasm is so incredible there” …

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Tim Cook talks Apple Intelligence, ChatGPT, and … the Magic Mouse in post-WWDC interviews

Following the WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down for interviews with iJustine, SuperSaf, and MKBHD to talk about iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence. Cook also touched on Apple’s partnership with OpenAI, plus his thoughts on some of Apple’s most iconic product announcements (and the Magic Mouse).

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Tim Cook: Apple Intelligence may hallucinate, but has guardrails

Apple Intelligence may hallucinate | Abstract psychedelic image reminiscent of Siri

CEO Tim Cook has admitted in an interview that Apple Intelligence may hallucinate, but says that its responses will be “very high quality.”

He also said that the company has not been willing to compromise on its values to move into AI, and that there are guardrails in place for its upcoming artificial intelligence features …

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What did we learn from Tim Cook’s comments yesterday?

Tim Cook's comments | Woman taking notes

There were no surprises in Apple’s earnings report yesterday, with the company reporting close to the $5B year-on-year fall in revenue it had warned us to expect.

Analysts got their usual chance to question CEO Tim Cook and chief financial officer Luca Maestri directly after the announcement. The pair always remain tight-lipped about specific plans, but there are a few things worth noting …

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Tim Cook: Apple has advantages that will set its generative AI apart from the competition

Apple AI features iOS 18

Following on from the announcement of Apple’s second quarter fiscal 2024 results, Apple CEO Tim Cook joined the company’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri on a call with investors. During this call, Cook again teased Apple’s upcoming generative AI and said that the company has advantages over its competitors.

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Tim Cook makes diplomatic noises about Apple manufacturing in Indonesia

Apple manufacturing in Indonesia | Jakarta skyline

Tim Cook made a diplomatic comment about the possibility of Apple manufacturing in Indonesia, after the country’s president pressed him on the issue. The country is an important market for Apple, as the world’s 4th most populous country after China, India, and the US.

Indonesia is one of a growing number of countries to use the threat of import tariffs as a way to encourage foreign companies to invest in the local economy, and Apple has so far used an indirect method to escape these …

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Tim Cook praises China as a production hub, amid Apple moves to lessen dependence

Tim Cook praises China | Waterfront in Shanghai

A state-owned newspaper has cited Tim Cook praising China as a production hub, during the CEO’s visit to the country for a new store opening.

Cook’s remarks were made after Apple reported a 13% decline in revenue from China, with a recent market intelligence estimate suggesting that iPhone sales were down 24% in the opening weeks of this year …

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Apple COO Jeff Williams in Taiwan for Foxconn’s 50th, as Tim Cook steers clear

Jeff Williams in Taiwan | Taipei skyline pictured

Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams is in Taiwan as a guest of honor for Foxconn’s 50th anniversary celebrations. He’s reportedly joined by his deputy, Sabih Khan.

The rare visit is likely a compromise, enabling the occasion to be marked while CEO Tim Cook continues his policy of avoiding visits to the island …

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Tim Cook talks Vision Pro, and his secret prototype experience many years ago

Tim Cook talks Vision Pro secret prototype | Photo of security guard

In a new piece in Vanity Fair, Tim Cook talks Vision Pro – including his first ever experience of using an early prototype of the device in the company’s secretive design block.

The piece doesn’t say when that was, only that it was before Apple moved to its current campus, and that it was “years ago; maybe six, seven, or even eight” …

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