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Apple and Tesla have been battling to recruit top talent from each other, according to a new report from Bloomberg Business. Tesla has hired at least 150 former Apple employees, more than they have from any other company.

tesla_model_s.jpg
The company has hired at least 150 former Apple employees, more than from any other company, even carmakers. The former Apple staffers work in many areas of the 6,000-employee automaker, including engineering and law. "From a design philosophy, [Apple] is relatively closely aligned," says Musk, Tesla's co-founder and chief executive officer. Apple declined to comment for this story.
Former Apple employees say their decision to join Tesla was based on the company's electric cars and CEO Elon Musk, who is a similar figure to Jobs. Like Jobs, Musk pays a great deal of attention to the details of his products and is a strong, visionary leader. Musk reportedly has a soft spot for Apple and enjoys comparisons to Steve Jobs as well, one former Tesla employee tells Bloomberg.

Apple's influence can be felt in the 17-inch touchscreen installed in Tesla's cars as well as its retail stores, both of which had former Apple employees in key roles. High profile former Apple employees at Tesla include Doug Field, Apple's former VP of Mac Hardware Engineering, who leads new vehicle development at the car company. Using top Silicon Valley talent, like former employees at Apple, allows Tesla to get a leg-up on competitors in the automobile industry.

While Tesla has had success recruiting talent from Apple, Musk says that Apple has hired "very few people" from the car company despite offering $250,000 signing bonuses and 60 percent salary increases to its employees.

Apple and Tesla have interacted in the past, with a report emerging in February 2014 that Apple had considered purchasing Tesla. Musk also revealed the two companies have had "conversations", though it isn't known whether those were about a potential acquisition, iOS integration in Tesla cars or battery technology.

The report also provides an interesting look into other ways Apple has influenced one of the most talked about companies in Silicon Valley and is worth reading at Bloomberg Business.

Article Link: Apple, Tesla Fighting Over Top Employees
 

Dekema2

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
856
437
WNY or Utica
You would think, given the cutting edge tech that comes from each other, they'd work together, like with CarPlay. Instead they poach from each other?
 

nando87

Cancelled
Jun 25, 2014
723
277
Both are a good and very strong brands.

No, Apple is a very good and very strong brand, maybe the best. Tesla is a niche+vaporware quite unknown brand.

Apple has infinitely more money, expertise and power. If Tesla thinks they are winning at something, is because Apple wants it that way, or simply doesn't care.

Let's be realistic.
 
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samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
No, Apple is a very good and very strong brand, maybe the best. Tesla is a niche+vaporware quite unknown brand.

Apple has infinitely more money, expertise and power. If Tesla thinks they are winning at something, is because Apple wants it that way, or simply don't care.

Let's be realistic.

Oh I don't know. Sounds like Apple is in the game "While Tesla has had success recruiting talent from Apple, Musk says that Apple has hired "very few people" from the car company despite offering $250,000 signing bonuses and 60 percent salary increases to its employees."
 

arian19

macrumors demi-god
Jul 9, 2008
369
62
I wish these companies would fight over me, instead of me fighting to get in line first for their products...

on a serious note, Apple and Tesla would create a great team.
 

duffman9000

macrumors 68020
Sep 7, 2003
2,327
8,083
Deep in the Depths of CA
I senior manager at work has one. Although he's given many people a test ride, I haven't mustered the courage to ask yet. I have looked at that massive touchscreen and wondered if this works well it's the future. It's awesome in so many damn ways.
 

nando87

Cancelled
Jun 25, 2014
723
277
Um... what? How are they vaporware? Unknown?

Have you heard about the model X or model 3? their delays? They have also delayed their profit guidance up to 2019. They sell some tenths of thousands of niche cars, have enormous debt and operating costs, and have a market cap like they were going to sell millions. Now they've said they're delaying their mainstream vehicles another year or pair of years. By then BMW and others will have their electric range

I'm sorry but Tesla is pure hype for geeks and snobs (in the US), vaporware+bubble stock (and brand).

The Model S is a good car by the way.

And of course they're unknown, do you think the people on forums and car-tech sites represent a big percentage over the whole population?
 

69Mustang

macrumors 604
Jan 7, 2014
7,895
15,043
In between a rock and a hard place
No, Apple is a very good and very strong brand, maybe the best. Tesla is a niche+vaporware quite unknown brand.

Apple has infinitely more money, expertise and power. If Tesla thinks they are winning at something, is because Apple wants it that way, or simply don't care.

Let's be realistic.

Vaporware, brand, and realistic don't mean what you think they mean. At least in the context in which you used them.

Curious, why do you feel as you do? FWIW, brand has nothing to do with money, expertise, or power.

On topic: It's not surprising. Apple probably wants Tesla people working on battery tech and Tesla probably wants Apple's people experienced in UX. Business is business.
 

nando87

Cancelled
Jun 25, 2014
723
277
Vaporware, brand, and realistic don't mean what you think they mean. At least in the context in which you used them.

Curious, why do you feel as you do? FWIW, brand has nothing to do with money, expertise, or power.

On topic: It's not surprising. Apple probably wants Tesla people working on battery tech and Tesla probably wants Apple's people experienced in UX. Business is business.

I was linking brand to economic power because the only thing remarkable about Tesla is its market cap, so I give it some chance. I feel as I do because I do this for a living and Tesla is a financial joke.

The Tesla brand per se is worth very little since it's very unknown.

I'll repeat: Apple could buy the entire Tesla using last quarter's profits. If Tesla hires someone from Apple is simply because Apple doesn't care.
 
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Vegasman

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2010
344
3
Have you heard about the model X or model 3? their delays? They have also delayed their profit guidance up to 2019. They sell some tenths of thousands of niche cars, have enormous debt and operating costs, and have a market cap like they were going to sell millions. Now they've said they're delaying their mainstream vehicles another year or pair of years. By then BMW and others will have their electric range

I'm sorry but Tesla is pure hype for geeks and snobs (in the US), vaporware+bubble stock (and brand).

The Model S is a good car by the way.

And of course they're unknown, do you think the people on forums and car-tech sites represent a big percentage over the whole population?


You sound like me when people were trying to explain why this bookstore called Amazon was so spectacular. I turned out to be wrong.
 

panerista

macrumors G5
Oct 20, 2011
12,679
10,516
Austin, TX
Has Tesla figured out they're a battery company yet?

They're a battery company in the making. That Gigafactory would be big enough to sell to the other auto makers and corner a market.
 

Cayden

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2014
925
544
Utah
I think it would be an awesome merger if it ever did happen. Direct integration with iPhones, possible iPad-like in dash displays, and apps for the iPhone and Apple Watch that could start your car and many other things. Really the possibilities are endless with these two brands
 

JesperA

macrumors 6502a
Feb 10, 2012
691
1,079
Sweden
The Tesla brand per se is worth very little since it's very unknown.
Tesla is not unknown, where did you even get that from? Tesla have had enormous media exposure around the globe, everyone i know know what a Tesla car is, most other people around the globe to.

Just because they sell a small quantity of cars compared to bigger brand doesnt mean that they are unknown.
 

69Mustang

macrumors 604
Jan 7, 2014
7,895
15,043
In between a rock and a hard place
I was linking brand to economic power because the only thing remarkable about Tesla is their market cap, so I give it some chance. I feel as I do because I do this for a living and Tesla is a financial joke.

The Tesla brand per se is worth very little since it's very unknown.

Oh, I see what you were doing. But I am not sure you see what you did. You linked brand (perception in the consumer market - not stock market) to economics and proceeded to harp about their economics only. It doesn't work that way. Amazon doesn't have the greatest economics but they are one of the top brands in the world. You can't take an argument on one subject and apply it to another.

Tesla unknown? Whaaaa? On what planet is Tesla unknown?
 

nando87

Cancelled
Jun 25, 2014
723
277
You sound like me when people were trying to explain why this bookstore called Amazon was so spectacular. I turned out to be wrong.

The thing is building cars is inherently industrial sector (huge operating costs), selling or operating online, web... services is a completely different sector. Tesla is a car company with a web enterprise financial style. The thing is once the years long bullish market comes to an end and they have to return the more expensive debt without profits, the next 3-4 years from now, we'll see.
 

69Mustang

macrumors 604
Jan 7, 2014
7,895
15,043
In between a rock and a hard place
I think it would be an awesome merger if it ever did happen. Direct integration with iPhones, possible iPad-like in dash displays, and apps for the iPhone and Apple Watch that could start your car and many other things. Really the possibilities are endless with these two brands

That would be horrible in my opinion. No car maker should tie their fortunes to the choice of a cell phone. I also don't think most people making a 5 or 6 figure purchase wants that decision influenced by 3 figure devices. The infotainment system probably shouldn't even be a tertiary factor in that decision. Again, just an opinion. Others may differ.
 

nando87

Cancelled
Jun 25, 2014
723
277
Oh, I see what you were doing. But I am not sure you see what you did. You linked brand (perception in the consumer market - not stock market) to economics and proceeded to harp about their economics only. It doesn't work that way. Amazon doesn't have the greatest economics but they are one of the top brands in the world. You can't take an argument on one subject and apply it to another.

Tesla unknown? Whaaaa? On what planet is Tesla unknown?

Tesla is not unknown, where did you even get that from? Tesla have had enormous media exposure around the globe, everyone i know know what a Tesla car is, most other people around the globe to.

Just because they sell a small quantity of cars compared to bigger brand doesnt mean that they are unknown.

Seriously? Do you think the world ends in Alaska or what? So you're saying me that if we select random people from all over the world, both sex and all the age ranges, Tesla will be a commonly recognized and positively considered brand? You have to be joking. Do your mothers even know what Tesla is or recognize its emblem?

Strongest car brands, by the way: Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz. Partly because they are WIDELY known. Tesla is not even between the top 20 best known brands, which is a requisite (to be known, obviously). That's why it's called "niche"
 

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
Seriously? Do you think the world ends in Alaska or what? So you're saying me that if we select random people from all over the world, both sex and all the age ranges, Tesla will be a commonly recognized and positively considered brand? You have to be joking. Do your mothers even know what Tesla is or recognize its emblem?

Strongest car brands, by the way: Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz.

My parents know what Tesla is.

I have friends throughout europe and asia who know what Tesla is.

I think it's time you give up this "rant."
 
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