04/11, 2:35pm
Continues Apple's LGBT-friendly policies
Apple CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter earlier today in support of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act. "The House should mark the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act by passing ENDA," he wrote. If passed, the bill would make it illegal for companies to discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation. The bill has been trapped in the US political system since 1994, however, and a November 2013 editorial by Cook in the Wall Street Journal had little impact.
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04/04, 4:06pm
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg tops high-tech
Apple CEO Tim Cook pulled in $73.9 million in compensation during 2013, according to data compiled by USA Today. That included a $4.3 million salary, and $69.6 million in vested stock options Cook had been awarded several years ago. The figures were enough to rank Cook second among a list of best-paid Silicon Valley executives, but this year's payout was atypical for the Apple CEO.
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03/20, 11:32am
Pope Francis, Dalai Lama among other people on list
Apple CEO Tim Cook ranks 33rd on a first-ever Fortune list of the "World's 50 Greatest Leaders," defined as people who are currently active with "transformative" influence. "Following Steve Jobs has arguably been the toughest corporate leadership assignment in decades, yet Cook has carried it off with mostly quiet aplomb," the publication writes. "In 2½ years he has kept the parade of winning new products marching (the Retina display, new operating systems, the iPhone 5), and he is bringing in Burberry's savior, Angela Ahrendts, to run Apple's retail stores. That's thinking different."
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03/18, 5:02pm
Book claims declining Apple culture
Yukari Iwatani Kane's book Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs is "nonsense," claims Apple CEO Tim Cook. "This nonsense belongs with some of the other books I've read about Apple," he says in a statement to CNBC. "It fails to capture Apple, Steve, or anyone else in the company. Apple has over 85,000 employees that come to work each day to do their best work, to create the world's best products, to put their mark in the universe and leave it better than they found it. This has been the heart of Apple from day one and will remain at the heart for decades to come. I am very confident about our future."
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03/06, 11:55pm
Short video clip made available by Israeli PM's office
As reported previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday with Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple headquarters as part of a California-driven initiative to strengthen commercial ties between the state and Israel. In a short video posted to the prime minister's official YouTube channel, Netanyahu can be seen touring Apple's headquarters and posing with Cook ahead of a lunch meeting.
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03/05, 7:00pm
Tour of Silicon Valley part of California-Israel technology partnership deal
On Wednesday, visiting head of state Benjamin Netanyahu -- the prime minister of Israel -- met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and the founders of Facebook's recently-acquired WhatsApp as part of a tour of Silicon Valley, part of a state government initiative to forge stronger trade and business relationships between California and Israel. According to reports, Netanyahu had lunch with Cook at Apple's Cupertino headquarters.
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03/05, 4:47pm
First Apple outlet in Turkey
The delayed grand opening of the Istanbul Apple Store will take place on April 4, says local site ElmaDergisi. The report further claims that Turkish President Abdullah Gül will be present, along with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook only rarely appears at Apple Stores, and it's even rarer for major government officials to inaugurate a location.
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02/28, 11:40pm
Conservative group's proposal questioned costs of environmental initiatives, more
A shareholder questioner from a conservative front group, the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), who questioned Apple's humanitarian policies of worker education, services for the disabled, and particularly environmental initiatives -- and also demanded that the company commit to only policies and projects that were explicitly profitable -- was sternly rebuked by Apple CEO Tim Cook in an unusually direct exchange.
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02/28, 3:17pm
iMessage sees exponential growth
Apple is currently handling about 40 billion iMessages (including push notifications) per day, and about 15 to 20 million FaceTime calls, CEO Tim Cook disclosed earlier today during the company's annual shareholders meeting. That indicates exponential growth during 2013, since in January of that year, the company was only up to 2 billion iMessages a day. Apple just recently added audio-only FaceTime calls as an option for iOS and OS X, which could grow traffic even further.
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02/28, 2:42pm
Set-top no longer just a 'hobby,' CEO hints
More than $1 billion in Apple TVs were sold during 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed during today's annual shareholders meeting. At $99 per device, that translates into almost 10 million units. "It's a little more difficult to call it a hobby these days," Cook told investors, referring back to comments Apple executives have made about the Apple TV's significance and prospects.
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02/24, 7:36pm
Diligent student fondly remembered by classmates, teachers
On the same day that Apple CEO Tim Cook was celebrating the life of his predecessor, co-founder Steve Jobs, his hometown newspaper was running a profile of Cook that features insights on his early life in the small Alabama town of Robertsdale, a tiny community in the southern tip of the state, situation between Mobile and the Florida panhandle border. Cook revisited the area last Christmas when he went to see his parents.
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02/24, 2:51pm
Company still closely tied to co-founder's public image
Via Twitter, Apple CEO Tim Cook has posted a pair of quotes from company co-founder Steve Jobs on what would've been his 59th birthday. "Details matter, it's worth waiting to get it right," one of them reads. The other is Jobs' more famous adopted motto, "Stay hungry, stay foolish," which he took inspiration from (it originally appeared on the back cover of the last edition of The Whole Earth Catalog). To that quote, Cook adds that "We honor him by continuing the work he loved so much."
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02/17, 10:41am
Newspaper also suggests iWatch might be able to predict heart attacks
Apple was at one point considering buying electric auto maker Tesla, a report from the San Francisco Chronicle suggests. The paper cites a source who says that in April of 2013, Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with Apple's head of acquisitions -- Adrian Perica -- at the company's Cupertino headquarters. It's speculated that he might also have met with Apple CEO Tim Cook, a strong possibility given Musk's importance, especially if the two companies were exploring a buyout.
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02/14, 11:13am
Trial due to begin at end of March
Apple CEO Tim Cook and the head of Samsung's mobile division, Shin Jong-Kyun, are said to have met last week in a failed attempt to negotiate an out-of-court settlement, Korean reports say. The meeting came about because of a US court order mandating the two sides meet ahead of next month's trial. Lawyers are said to have met on January 6th to set a framework for the negotiation, which included a Feburary 19th deadline, and the presence of each side's CEO along with three to four in-house attorneys.
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02/07, 4:41pm
Apple CEO doesn't dismiss possibility of bigger iPhone
The Wall Street Journal has published the full contents of yesterday's interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, in which he announced the company's expanded share buyback plan. Commenting on Google's recent sale of Motorola to Lenovo, Cook says that he "wasn't surprised," and that it "seems like a logical transaction," since Motorola is losing money and Google isn't committed to it. "I think it's really hard to do hardware, software and services and to link all those things together. That's what makes Apple so special," he adds. "It's really hard, so I'm not surprised that they are not going to do that."
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02/07, 1:32pm
Apps, educational systems discussed
As a part of his tour of the United Arab Emirates, Apple CEO Tim Cook today met with Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi and other government officials in Dubai, says the Khaleej Times. The ensemble reportedly discussed developing next-generation educational apps, and the potential of creating an entirely new educational model that other nations might adopt as well. Al Gergawi is said to have lauded the potential of a public-private partnership with Apple.
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02/06, 11:06pm
Cook eager to show investors that company is confident in future
Just two weeks after it reported its fiscal Q1 2014 results -- which set records in many areas but disappointed iPhone-focused investors -- Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed in an interview that the company has repurchased another $14 billion of its own stock , on top of over $40 billion spent on buybacks over the past year. Some $12 billion of the new purchase was part of the regular buyback program, with another $2 billion bought separately on the open market.
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02/05, 4:22am
President, Prime Minister ask for technology part investment, get promise of 'unique' Apple Store
Following on from reports yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook held a high-level meeting with Turkey's President Abdullah Gül regarding the country's FATIH initiative, a potentially $4 billion deal to supply Turkey's students with iPads. Also discussed at the meeting was improving iOS keyboard support of the Turkish language, adding more content to Turkey's recently-opened iTunes stores, and further localization of support, such as through Siri.
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02/03, 10:15pm
Follows visits to Ireland, UAE, mostly on educational tech topics
Apple CEO Tim Cook, already on something of a world tour following recent visits to China, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, will meet once again with Turkey's President Abdullah Gül on Tuesday, presumably to further discuss a potential $4 billion iPad educational initiative as well as open the country's first-ever Apple Store, located in Istanbul. The store is a 21,500-foot facility in the city's Zorlu Center, and follows the opening of the online Apple Store for Turkey back in October.
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01/26, 4:17am
Cook makes 'exception' to company's forward-looking policy
Following a blitz of interviews given by the executive team and a special mini-site dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Macintosh, Apple has rounded off its celebrations by hosting a "beer bash" for employees that featured executives and engineers mingling outside the company's main headquarters, and a live concert by the band One Republic. The well-attended event (captured in a photo by Apple CEO Tim Cook, below) also featured brief remarks by Cook.
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01/24, 4:06pm
Truth of statement difficult to verify
ABC has released another clip from its interview with Tim Cook and other Apple executives. In the new piece, Cook discuses the National Security Agency's domestic spying operations, and whether or not the agency has direct access to Apple servers, as it does at some other corporations like AT&T. "I've been pushing very, very hard to open the books and be totally transparent," he says. "Much of what has been said isn't true; there is no back door. The government doesn't have access to our servers. They would have to cart us out in a box for that. And that just will not happen. We feel that - strongly about it. But I do want to be transparent, because I think transparency would help put everything in perspective."
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01/15, 11:32am
CEO drumming up shareholder interest in US
Apple CEO Tim Cook made a rare TV appearance on Wednesday in order to discuss the company's impending launch of the iPhone on China Mobile. Cook sat alongside Mobile chairman Xi Guohua during an interview with CNBC. The former called the deal a "watershed day," and claimed that Mobile has a "very fast network." He also spoke of "deep respect" for the carrier, adding that he's been "incredibly impressed" so far.
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12/31, 12:43am
Cook tied his reward more closely with stock performance over company performance
A move made by Apple CEO Tim Cook and the board of directors at Apple has ended up costing Cook some $4 million in additional bonuses over the previous arrangement, according to proxy statements filed by the company over the weekend. Cook annually receives a stock grant, but because AAPL didn't outperform the overall S&P500 average to which the award is tied, Cook lost about half of the grant, which would currently be worth about $4 million.
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12/27, 8:26pm
Salary and bonuses amount to small rise from 2012 package
Though the media generally reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook has "earned" hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation, in fact most of the money attributed to Apple's chief is theoretical, and comes in the form of stock options or Restricted Stock Units -- potential rewards Cook may never see, and won't vest for years to come. For 2013, Cook's actual yearly compensation package totalled $4.3 million, a slight rise from the $4.17 million he made last year, his first full year as CEO.
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12/23, 2:35pm
Apple acquisitions reportedly continue
Apple may have stealthily acquired two more companies in a continuing effort to improve the functionality of iOS. 9to5Mac reported on Monday that Apple has snatched up both BroadMap – a mapping firm – and Catch – an Evernote competitor – in the last several months. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously said that Apple has acquired 15 firms this year, but not all of those have been revealed to date, and these latest two firms appear to be the sort that Apple would pick up.
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12/22, 4:23pm
Cook promises a lot to look forward to for 2014
Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees of the iPhone maker that the company has big things on queue for 2014, fueling speculation that the next year could see multiple new Apple product families introduced. In an email obtained by 9to5Mac, Cook wished Apple employees a happy holiday season and thanked them for their contributions to the company's ongoing successes. The Apple chief also devoted space to discussing Apple's recent efforts toward encouraging diversity. One sentence, though, is likely of the most interest for Apple fans and investors: the one dealing with what Apple has planned for the near future.
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12/14, 5:01pm
Cook speaks on gay rights, racism, immigration at alma mater
On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from Auburn University, his alma mater, where he earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. In his acceptance speech, the Apple CEO addressed a number of issues, but he dwelt for a time on equality. A video of the speech has been posted to the Internet, and in it Cook speaks out on gay rights, racism, and immigration. The United States should move toward equality, Cook says, because movement toward such issues is "right and just."
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12/04, 3:52pm
Admits 'Steve Jobs probably wouldn't have talked to me'
(Updated with Twitter comment on buyback cap) Investor Carl Icahn filed a shareholder proposal for an Apple stock buyback on November 26th, a new TIME interview reveals. Icahn has been trying to pressure Apple into expanding its current buyback from $60 billion to $150 billion, and having it take effect immediately, rather than run through 2015. In response to the interview, Apple has issued a statement. "As part of our regular review process, we are once again actively seeking our shareholders' input on our program, and as we said in October, the management team and our board are engaged in an ongoing discussion about it which is thoughtful and deliberate," a spokesperson says.
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11/15, 10:31am
Letter to Cook confirms $2.5 billion in share holdings
Investor Carl Icahn has publicly released a letter he originally sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook in late October. The letter -- issued to shareholders overnight -- confirms that Icahn now owns roughly $2.5 billion in Apple stock, and continues pushing for expanding the company's share buyback program from $60 billion to $150 billion, while having it take effect immediately instead of running through 2015. Icahn claims that his plan could ultimately raise Apple's share price to as high as $1,250, which would make it more valuable than Google.
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11/11, 1:18pm
Investor quiet on progress of stock buyback agenda
Rich investor Carl Icahn has again spoken with Apple CEO Tim Cook, CNBC reports. Icahn tells the network that he had a "good conversation" with Cook in the past few days, and that both sides agree Apple stock is undervalued. The parties are also allegedly continuing to explore the possibility of an expanded share buyback program.
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11/04, 9:28am
Rare political statement by Apple executive
In a Sunday editorial for the Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook asked US senators to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in a cloture vote scheduled to take place on Monday. ENDA is meant to prevent businesses from discriminating based on gender or sexual orientation. Although the Act has the backing of President Obama and 59 senators, it's one senator short of the 60 needed to defeat any Republican filibuster attempt. That makes it critical for ENDA's backers to swing any moderate Republicans, if possible.
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10/24, 3:05pm
Option reserved in case Apple executives decline proposal
A shareholder proxy vote is an option if Apple executives don't go along with a $150 billion share buyback proposal, says Carl Icahn in a new CNBC interview. The investor -- who has met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on the matter, and sent an open letter -- states that he isn't "going away," and will continue pursuing an expanded buyback. Asked if he's interested in using a proxy vote, he says that "We'll test the waters and see if the shareholders want us to do it and want us to win."
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10/24, 10:52am
Investor ups stake to $2.5 billion
As promised yesterday, influential investor Carl Icahn has published the contents of a letter sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook. The letter asks Apple to pursue an "immediate" $150 billion share buyback program, expanding on the $60 billion program the company is already engaged in. The latter is due to finish by the end of 2015, and has required Apple to go into debt despite tens of billions in cash reserves.
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10/23, 4:32pm
Contents to be shown tomorrow
Wealthy investor Carl Icahn has issued a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, a Twitter post confirms. Icahn states that the contents of the letter will be revealed tomorrow at a new website, the Shareholders' Square Table. A CNBC source says that letter continues Icahn's campaign for a larger share buyback program.
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10/22, 11:00am
Deepens ties with China
Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined the advisory board of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, according to the university's website. A mission statement indicates that the board holds annual meetings to "offer advice on the development of Tsinghua's SEM." Other high-profile members of the board include Foxconn CEO Terry Gou, Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa, Walmart CEO Michael Duke, and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi.
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10/18, 4:46pm
Case pursued through small claims court
A California man, Mark Menacher, has filed a small-claims lawsuit against Apple CEO Tim Cook over an automatic update to iOS 7. The case is being handled through the San Diego County branch of California's Superior Court, and asks for a method to remove update files plus $50 in compensation. Automatic over-the-air downloads of iOS updates became an option with iOS 6; although people must give permission for an update to install, the associated file can't be removed if a person chooses to back out, consuming 1GB or more of free space.
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10/11, 2:22am
Says current Apple chief is right in 'not trying to be Steve Jobs'
The man who was Steve Jobs' successor to the role of Apple CEO in the 80s says that current CEO Tim Cook is doing "a terrific job" in running the world's most valuable company, and expressed confidence that Apple would continue to do well because "Apple makes great quality products" which will continue to find a lucrative audience. John Sculley told CNBC Asia during a recent interview that he feels Cook has been in correct in "not trying to be Steve Jobs [because] only one person could be Steve Jobs, and that was Steve."
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10/04, 10:26am
CEO asks for dedication to work
Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued an email memo to employees on the eve of the second anniversary of Steve Jobs' death, reports say. "Team," it begins. "Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of Steve’s death. I hope everyone will reflect on what he meant to all of us and to the world. Steve was an amazing human being and left the world a better place. I think of him often and find enormous strength in memories of his friendship, vision and leadership.
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10/01, 4:59pm
Pair were joined by CFO Peter Oppenheimer
Yesterday's meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook was actually "a little testy," says investor Carl Icahn in a new CNBC interview. In a Twitter post today, Icahn had claimed that the meeting was "cordial." The pair are now said to have been joined by Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and disputed whether or not shareholders should get involved in how Apple executives spend cash.
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10/01, 11:21am
Talks to continue later this month
Carl Icahn pushed for an expanded, $150 billion Apple share buyback during his dinner with Tim Cook yesterday, according to a Twitter post by the influential investor. "Had a cordial dinner with Tim last night," Icahn wrote. "We pushed hard for a 150 billion buyback. We decided to continue dialogue in about three weeks."
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09/30, 10:54am
Cook sends company wide e-mail
Earlier today Tim Cook sent an e-mail to Apple employees thanking them for their work in launching two new iPhone product lines and iOS 7. As a reward, everyone will be receiving extra paid time off for the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays. Apple will shut down on November 25, 26, and 27 giving employees an entire week off for the holiday. Some employees, such as Retail and AppleCare staff won't get the same days off, but will receive the additional time off at a later date.
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09/26, 10:49am
Magnates to talk expanded Apple share buybacks
Apple CEO Tim Cook and influential investor Carl Icahn have set a September 30th date in New York City for their long-planned meeting, according to CNBC. The pair are expected to talk primarily about Icahn's push for an expanded buyback of Apple stocks. The company is already in the middle of a buyback plan that will cost it $60 billion by the end of 2015.
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09/20, 11:32am
Shoppers find many models unavailable
Apple CEO Tim Cook made a surprise appearance this morning at the new Palo Alto Apple Store in California, accounts say. As some 200 or more people waited in line to buy new iPhones, Cook is said to have spoken with people in line and shook their hands. Palo Alto is roughly a 15-25 minute drive from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino.
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09/19, 8:37am
Apple executives promote new iPhones
Apple CEO Tim Cook has shed light on the company's smartphone strategy and his own take on the competition, namely Google's Android OS. In an interview with Bloomberg, the executive dismisses the threat posed by the inevitable "junk part of the market" against the company's new iPhone 5s and 5c handsets that were introduced last week.
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08/28, 12:50am
Cue sells, Cook withholds minimum tax requirements
Apple CEO Tim Cook and SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue exercised stock options last week, according to documents filed with the SEC, but only Cue actually sold shares -- while Cook opted to just withhold the minimum tax requirements, which worked out to just over $19 million. Cue sold roughly half of his latest stock grant, 24,580 shares for a net gain of $12.4 million.
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08/22, 4:25pm
Icahn pushes for greater profits
Investor Carl Icahn and Apple CEO Tim Cook will meet next month for a business dinner, according to the former's official Twitter feed. "Spoke to Tim. Planning dinner in September. Tim believes in buyback and is doing one. What will be discussed is magnitude," he writes. Icahn met with Cook earlier this month, putting forward the idea that Apple should expand its buyback program. The company is already in the middle of spending $60 billion on buybacks through 2015.
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08/13, 4:52pm
Calls company 'extremely undervalued'
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook today, urging him to increase the company's share buybacks, reports note. The news first emerged from Icahn himself via Twitter; there he revealed not only the conversation, but that his firm has a "large position" in Apple, whose stock he feels is "extremely undervalued." Apple later confirmed the talk in a statement to the Wall Street Journal, but without mentioning Icahn's buyback agenda. Icahn says he plans to speak with Cook again "shortly."
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08/09, 3:45pm
Executives said to want new products fast
Apple's board of directors is allegedly upset with CEO Tim Cook over a lack of innovative products in recent times, according to sources cited by Fox Business News' Charlie Gasparino. Cook is reportedly safe in his position for now, but the board members are thought to be worried that Apple isn't keeping up with the momentum established under former CEO Steve Jobs. As a result, the board is allegedly putting pressure on Cook.
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08/09, 2:10am
Representatives from tech firms and civil liberties groups come together
One of the "fathers of the Internet," Vint Cerf -- along with a cadre of representatives from tech companies, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and AT&T chief Randall Stephenson -- met with President Obama on Thursday in a closed-door meeting about government surveillance. This follows a similar meeting earlier in the week that included tech-industry lobbyists and civil liberties groups, including the ACLU and Electronic Privacy Information Center. The meetings are part of an effort by the administration to promote discussion and information about government surveillance programs.
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07/31, 12:41pm
Could hint at long-awaited iPhone deal
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua in Beijing on Tuesday, the latter company tells Reuters. The subject of the executives' discussion is being kept secret, but the pair were likely in talks to bring a new iPhone and/or iPad to China Mobile. The company is the only major Chinese carrier without an Apple deal, although it has a number of unofficial iPhone users on its network.
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