How exactly does that work, you may be asking. For this we’re going to have to go back to when Steve Jobs passed away, just six weeks after Cook assumed the role of CEO. Because apparently this practice of keeping around Apple veterans isn’t anything new.
Not long after Jobs’ passing, Bob Mansfield wanted to leave the company. Mansfield was a key figure in Apple’s hardware engineering department, and Cook was concerned his departure might alarm shareholders. So what Cook did instead was convince Mansfield to stick around a while longer for, possibly, very large sums of money. And though Mansfield did stay at Apple, he barely worked after that until taking on the Apple Car project according to Gurman.
Cook had to employ the same tactic around 2015 for Apple’s highly-praised designer Jony Ive. Ive wanted to leave and instead he was kept around on payroll while being allowed to work only one or two days a week. He did eventually leave in 2019 to start his own firm, but not before Apple had spent years telling the public that Ive was heavily involved at the company.
According to Gurman this tactic was also used for Phil Schiller. This was when Apple came up with the “Apple Fellow” title, something Schiller still works as today while leading the App Store.
What’s more interesting is that the company is still employing this method now, almost 13 years after Jobs passed away. The latest example is Apple CFO Luca Maestri stepping down in 2025. Though Maestri will no longer hold the title of CFO the company is keeping him around regardless, for providing counsel to Tim Cook amidst other duties.
Apple isn’t short on money, not by a very long shot. But it’s also one of the biggest, most beloved companies in the world. Is keeping around senior employees on payroll for barely any work really that helpful now?
Because I doubt this massive corporation is going to lose much interest from the public if someone they probably didn’t even know about leaves.
News
Is ‘The Watchers’ Inspired by Real-Life Folklore? Discover the Truth Behind the Scary Story!
Folktales have led to some of the most terrifying horror movies in recent years, presenting audiences with monstrous creatures and strange human behavior. These stories come from…
Director’s Daughter Turns Horror Flop into a Surprise #1 Hit on Max
Growing up on sets around the world, Ishana Night Shyamalan watched her father, two-time Academy Award nominee M. Night Shyamalan, helm some of the biggest thrillers and…
‘The Watchers’: Dakota Fanning, Ishana Shyamalan, and Georgina Campbell Share How ‘Love Island’ Surprisingly Influenced Their Chilling Horror Film!
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection “Try not to die!” When Dakota Fanning’s Mina prepares for a night out with a bird on loan from the pet shop, she gives…
Here’s Why ‘The Watchers’ Should Be Your Next Must-Watch Series!
The feature debut of 24-year-old Ishana Night Shyamalan has divided critics, but there’s more going on beneath the surface than it seems. Dakota Fanning in ‘The Watchers.’ Jonathan…
Could HBO’s Big Bet on ‘Industry’ Cement Its Status as the Next Hit Series?
Nick Strasburg/HBO It’s a tale as old as time in the television industry: There’s no better way to make a TV show a success than to move…
Industry Season 3 Returns with 8 Thrilling Episodes Packed with High-Stakes Drama and Scandalous Debauchery!
The HBO series levels up in its third season—and you won’t want to miss a second of it. HBO Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may…
End of content
No more pages to load